Keep Me Forever
by Shady Love
Summary: Morgana doesn't want just her rightful place upon the throne; she wants complete revenge on the one warlock who stopped her; Merlin. And she knows just how to do it and who to do it for her. Merlin/OC/Morgana, set in S4.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Morgana Pendragon had lost nearly everything. Her plans to overthrow the next heir of Camelot were thwarted by her enemies, her sister Morgause was condemned to a death, and she was forced to go into hiding as to avoid pursuit by the knights. With barely anything on her but her magical capabilities and any amount of knowledge Morgause had left her, it seemed that Morgana would never take her rightful place upon the throne.

But Morgana wasn't one to give up easily. It was a quality of hers that would never fade. She knew what belonged to her and would stop at nothing to get it. Even if it meant killing her brother, Arthur Pendragon. But this time around, the throne was not as accessible as it had been before Morgana's true colors had been revealed. Thanks to Arthur's meddling servant, Merlin, her under-the-radar status had been brought to the surface and she could no longer hide behind an innocent cover. She had underestimated Merlin; he was sharper than he looked. It wasn't enough to make it past Arthur. Morgana had to find a way to trick Merlin too.

The witch already had an insider to Camelot by the name of Agravaine, Arthur's uncle and his mother's brother. He was a trusted relative of the prince's and Morgana knew Arthur well; he trusted Agravaine with all his heart. Although the man had assured her he would raise no suspicion, Morgana knew better. No matter what, Merlin would always see through anything that seemed unusual. She needed something or perhaps someone to distract Merlin. If that proved successful, Morgana's spot on the throne was as good as guaranteed.

After she had sacrificed Morgause at the Isle of the Blessed, Morgana had made herself a hovel deep in the woods and out of sight from Camelot knights. She had planned carefully what her next step would be. On top of her plan to take over the kingdom, the witch had to worry about a man named Emrys. When Morgana had sacrificed her sister, she was met with the Callieach, the gatekeeper of the veil between two worlds. Morgana had opened the veil and released the spirits, called the Dorocha, who wreaked havoc all over. The Callieach had told her that although she would make her enemies suffer, she would meet Emrys, calling him her "destiny and her doom."

Morgana had enough standing in her way and the last thing she needed was to worry about a worthless manservant when there were more dangerous threats in her path. All the more reason to cook up a new scheme that would not only bring Arthur down but Merlin as well.

Time was running out. Uther was dead and Arthur had just been crowned King of Camelot. If Morgana did not act soon, it would be too late. Her visions would come true. But Morgana was going to take what was hers, no matter how many lives she took.

Besides, she wasn't the only one who was going to have blood on her hands.

* * *

><p>"What news do you have for me?" the witch demanded when Agravaine entered her hovel. She sat at her table, sitting back expectantly, waiting for the man to report any news, good or bad. For Agravaine's sake, it better have been good. Morgana had waited days for any update since Uther's death and Arthur's coronation.<p>

"I fear I may have no good news for you," Agravaine confessed, sitting down and pouring himself a cup of water. "Ever since Arthur was crowned king, he has been taking it upon himself to rule the way his father has. It has put some pressure on him and I am doing my best to help him make his decisions."

Morgana smirked. She knew that "help" held a definition quite opposite than what it intended. "You're going to have to be careful, Agravaine," she commented, "Arthur may trust you but he has very shrewd members of the court. Don't get to satisfied with yourself."

"I assure you that I have everyone fooled, my lady," Agravaine boasted, taking a sip from his cup. "No one suspects me of anything."

Morgana exhaled, staring at Agravaine with her pale green eyes. "Is that so? How about the manservant, Merlin?"

Agravaine snorted. "I don't think his opinion counts for anything."

"You underestimate their bond, Agravaine. Arthur is very fond of Merlin. For some reason, he holds the boy's opinion to a very high regard. Even if he doesn't admit it." Morgana could see a hint of fear flash in the man's eyes. Now he knew she was being serious.

"What do you suggest I do, my lady?" Agravaine asked, setting down his cup and listening intently.

"I have been wondering this myself." Morgana stood up and walked around the room. "Arthur trusts Merlin more than anything. His most loyal servant." Morgana scoffed. "How precious is that? Maybe even more than you. He'll suspect you more than he would Merlin and you can bet the servant would tell him."

"What are you saying? Should I make Arthur suspicious of Merlin?" Agravaine asked, turning around in his chair to look at Morgana.

"That's not the plan. You've tricked Arthur already but if Merlin is already on your case, there's no going back," Morgana responded. "No. Merlin needs a distraction of his own. Something of his own to care and worry about. And maybe not just something." Morgana whirled around and faced Agravaine. "_Someone_."

The man raised an eyebrow. "And just who are you planning on getting to sway Merlin?"

Morgana leaned in. "I suppose that's your job to handle, isn't it, Agravaine?"

A look of exasperation crossed Agravaine's face but Morgana's mind was made up. She didn't have time to wander the woods and search for someone who could get the job done. Agravaine had been failing her enough; it was time he made up for it.

"I have to go, my presence is expected in Camelot," the man said hastily, rising from his seat.

"Take care," Morgana smirked again, "You wouldn't want to give away your true identity, wouldn't you? And remember…_ don't_ let me down this time."

Agravaine gave her one last look before leaving her hovel. Morgana sat back down, already anticipating yet another failure on his part. If only she could risk getting the job done herself.

_If only… I'd have been Queen of Camelot by now._

* * *

><p>Later in the evening, Morgana left her hovel to go gather some more firewood. This was a task she detested; this is what they had fucking servants for and here she was, forced to do it herself. It was times like these Morgana hated her enemies in Camelot more than ever. She had been the daughter of a king. This was not how she was supposed to live.<p>

As Morgana gathered wood, she daydreamed about being the queen of the kingdom. She'd have all the maids and knights at her disposal and those who were against her would suffer as she had suffered. Oh, what a life it would. What a life…

Morgana heard voices and straightened up, her thoughts interrupted. They sounded like men shouting and she dropped the firewood and carefully crept towards the direction she heard them. The shouting became louder as she walked closer and she reached the edge of the dirt path and looked down into a clearing in the middle of the trees. Just as the witch had suspected, bandits had set up camp and were being loud and obnoxious. Morgana could take them out easily if they become too big a disturbance. But as she looked closer, she saw there was a reason they were yelling so loudly.

They were shoving a girl around from man to man, taunting and laughing at her. Her red dress was torn and ripped up in areas Morgana would deem inappropriate had she still been the king's ward. Her hair was down in light brown waves and she was rather pale looking. Her head was down and she was shrieking, telling them to stop.

One bandit caught her and gripped her tightly, grinning maliciously. "I bet the old man regretted sending you to that call house now, didn't he?" he remarked. "You're a pretty little one."

"And you're ours now!" another one yelled and everyone else laughed. Out of nowhere, the girl spat in the man's face and he let out a cry of anger. He threw her to the ground and planted a firm kick to her stomach.

_Fucking bastard_, Morgana thought to herself, feeling a sudden urge to intervene. The bandits circled the girl who was gasping for breath, clutching her stomach. There was fear in her eyes when she looked up to see just how outnumbered she truly was.

"We'll teach you not to mess with us," the one who had kicked her said, pulling out a dagger from his waist. He wiped her spit off with the back of his hand and glared at her as the girl backed up. She turned her head away

"You're our little whore now," the one next to him added. They were closing in on her.

_I can't watch this anymore_. Morgana was ready to take action when suddenly, the girl whipped her head back towards the bandits and her eyes flashed a brilliant gold. That movement sent the bandits flying back out of the circle and crashing into the trees behind them. There were more shouts as they were thrown back. The girl struggled to her feet, trying to cover herself with her arms as her dress was all torn up. Morgana stared, wide-eyed. The girl had magic. She was a witch.

"The whore's a witch!" a bandit yelled. The girl whirled around to see who had said that but the man she had spit at brandished his dagger and ran at her, slicing at her. She let out a cry of pain and crumbled back to the ground, clutching her shoulder blade.

"And useless," the dagger bandit grumbled, "Let's kill the bitch, she's no good."

"You will do no such thing!" Morgana screamed and everyone turned to look up at her. Her eyes flashed the same brilliant shade of gold and she held out her palms, sending the bandits flying back once more. The girl looked up, her fingers covered in blood. She stared at Morgana who made a deadly stride towards the bandits.

"Another witch," the dagger bandit growled, the first to get up. "You stay out of this. She's our whore. We paid the money for her and we'll do whatever we please with her."

"You will leave her alone," Morgana snapped threateningly, standing in front of the girl, "Come near this girl and I swear to you, I will show you no mercy. Do you hear me?" Not waiting for an answer, Morgana's eyes flashed and she sent the man back into the tree. He dropped his dagger and screamed as he hit the tree and toppled to the ground, completely unconscious.

"I mean it!" Morgana pressed, looking around. "Anyone else?"

They'd had enough. As quickly as they could, they gathered up their things and left the spot. Morgana turned to the girl was still on the ground, whimpering at the slash mark on her back.

"Are you alright?" she whispered, kneeling down. The girl didn't speak, didn't even look at her. Morgana had no intention of hurting her. She'd always have a soft spot for people with magic who had been tortured.

"Come with me, let me help you," she offered in a quiet voice. "Your wound, it needs tending to."

The girl was shaking but she nodded once. Morgana helped her back to her hovel where she began cleaning the wound. Slowly, the girl loosened up but she was still shaking a little.

"I know who you are," she spoke up, not meeting Morgana's eyes. The witch looked at her in surprise. "Your Morgana Pendragon."

"Seems I'm not so secretive after all," Morgana muttered, going back to work. "How did you guess?"

"News travels fast and you were described perfectly," the girl replied. "Even to the call house."

"So that's why they were calling you a whore," Morgana said, not bothering to be sensitive. The girl hung her head. "Not something to be proud of."

"Well, can't completely be your fault. Unless you chose to be there."

"Not really. Sold off when I was young."

"Always the case." Morgana finished cleaning the wound and pressed a hand to it. She muttered a quick healing spell. The cut stopped bleeding. The girl turned her head to examine it. She showed a hint of a smile. "Could've done that myself."

"More effective when you have the energy." Morgana stood up. The girl slowly closed her eyes and dozed off in the chair, experiencing the side effects of the magic. A small smile tugged at the corners of Morgana's mouth. All day, she had wondered if Agravaine would complete his task well. Turns out, he didn't have to after all. Not only had she found someone, that someone was a young, attractive female from the call house.

What more could a bored, lonely manservant want?

**A/N: Hello readers! Big news, new story! I've had this idea for a while now and I was really excited about publishing it so if you all like it, I'll continue this one as well. Don't worry, this won't stop the Fire In The Shade updates. For now, I want to see if I can make something of this idea as well (besides, the other is slowly going to come to a close). I hope you enjoy the new idea. Cheers!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_It was strange where she was, standing in the hallway of a castle. Ladies from the pleasure house weren't allowed inside the castle and neither were the people of the court allowed to pay sessions with them in their rooms. But the lord's sons held a complete disregard for rules and she was a favorite of theirs…_

_The environment was different. It wasn't a cold, empty castle and no one looked down on her disdainfully. It was warmer, more welcoming, a bit homey for a castle. She wasn't back in Cervena… but where she was, God only knew…_

Laila slowly came out of her sleep, blinking her honey colored eyes awake. She yawned and stretched as much as she could, scanning her unfamiliar whereabouts. Laila felt a slight pain in her shoulder blade and turned her neck to see a faint pink scar. It all came to her- the bandits, the fight, the dagger slicing down her shoulder…

"You are awake." Laila jumped out of her seat, her eyes flashing bright gold. A jug of water that had been on the table flew off and in the direction where the woman's voice had come from. "Fuck!" she cursed, her eyes turning the same color as Lana's, moving her head to change the direction of the jug. Lana should've been shocked but her memory came to her. The woman was the Lady Morgana. She was the one who saved her from the bandits.

"Are you mad, you little tramp? I save your life and you try to kill me?" Morgana snapped, her eyes returning to the same pale grin. She shot a menacing glare at Laila. The girl let out an exhale, biting back the fresh batch of insults in her head from being called a tramp. "Sorry. Basic instinct when a _tramp_ is in the house of a stranger." Her voice was calm but on the inside, she was burning. The word was like a bitter taste on her tongue and it took all her power not to send more things flying towards Morgana.

Laila looked around the room. "Or should I say, a hovel?"

Morgana's mouth twitched into a smirk. "You've quite an attitude. I bet all whores acquire the same sass as you do when stuck in the pleasure houses all day with nothing better to do."

"We still have our manners, even for ladies from call houses. I am grateful for you saving me back there," Laila added. Even if she heard things about the Lady Morgana, it was only right to say that Laila was in some way in her debt.

"It was no trouble at all." Morgana bent down to pick up the jug. She muttered a spell under her breath to clean up the water. She placed the jug back on the table and sat, addressing Laila. "Sit down. We've a lot of bonding to do."

"I've told you I know who you are," Laila replied, not taking orders. She crossed her arms. "And I know what you've done. To take orders from you would be my death sentence waiting to happen. And I won't."

Laila's blatant remark seemed to have no effect on the ex-king's ward. Morgana's eyes stayed fixed on her. "I mean no harm to you. I simply want to know who you are."

"And if I refuse to tell you?"

"You are more than welcome to walk out the door. But I can promise you that within ten minutes, you will be captured and in the hands of Camelot knights. And I can assure you that as noble as they come, even they cannot resist an escaped woman with barely any clothes on her."

"I have my magic, I can stop them," Laila countered.

"Or worse, bandits. You were close to your death, last I saw you."

The girl hesitated for a moment, but Morgana made an infuriatingly good point. Sighing, she sat back down. Morgana smirked again. "Good girl. You made the right choice."

Laila looked at her. "Well then, what do you want to know?"

Morgana leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. "Why don't we start with your name?"

"Laila."

"No last name?"

"I was stripped of it when they gave me away so it's really useless of me to tell you."

"Fair enough. Where do you come from."

"Cervena."

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "I shouldn't have asked. Cervena is home to the most promiscuous of men and women."

"The only area where call houses are still legal. And it's mostly women," Laila reminded. It was true. Cervena wasn't exactly a kingdom as there was no official king who ruled the land, just a rich lord, his wife, and his sons. It was safe to simply call it a city. No other kingdom in the lands wanted much to do with Cervena and there was no need to ask why.

"Pray tell, Laila. Why is it that a witch allowed herself to be given away to the pleasure house in the first place?" Morgana questioned.

Laila raise the strap on her torn dress as to cover herself up as much as possible. She did her best not to shiver in the cold hovel. This was a question she wanted to avoid but unfortunately, she had no choice but to answer. "I may have been born with magic, Lady Morgana, but we don't all realize it when we are just born. After all, I can't say you found out when you were a baby, now can I?"

Morgana stiffened and Laila took silent satisfaction in finally making the witch uncomfortable. She continued, "I was given away at a young age- nine or ten, I hardly remember. That was when I found out I had magic. It's strongest when my emotions are out of control. And for years, I was so unstable and so was my magic. I had to keep the magic a secret but I was young and scared and they hated my resistance. I was always locked up or sent back. But I learned to control it."

"And you went back?"

"I had to."

"Explain." Morgana wasn't giving up.

"My father left Cervena shortly after I learned how to handle my magic. When you've nowhere to live and no one willing to take in a call girl, what other choice do you have but to resume the life you were thrown into?" Laila answered.

"I can answer that easily," Morgana said, "Look at me. I used to be the king's ward. I lived a life of luxury and no one could lay a hand on me. And here I am, forced to live in a hovel and nothing from my old life has remained. But I have grown powerful and I can do for myself. You should be no different."

"That's the whole point, Morgana. You've had your luxurious life, a sister to train you in those years, time to grow as a witch. I've had nothing to begin with and no one to help me. To this day I have trouble controlling my magic." Laila rubbed her head, feeling an ache coming on. All these questions were making her dizzy. She hated talking about her life with anyone, let alone someone she didn't know and didn't trust.

"I can't say I empathize with you there," Morgana murmured.

"Believe me, my lady. I've escaped a few times. But with magic out of hand like mine horny knights and bandits swarming the area near the city, I know what I'd choose," Laila said, "Besides, they welcome me back with open arms." She chuckled but it was flat and humorless. Her sarcasm was too much to actually be funny.

"I see your point." Morgana sat back. "Poor girl. It's a life of constant shame."

Laila's eyes narrowed. "I'm ashamed to have a family who would toss me away like that. But I will not apologize for the things I've done to keep myself alive. You struggle to make a living for yourself with your background and assistance from others. Then come talk to me."

Laila's statement seemed to shut Morgana up instantly and this time, Laila regretted ranting. She was letting too much of herself out and this wasn't good. Morgana would use all this to her advantage. And if there was one person Laila would not be victim to, it was the Lady Morgana.

"I don't aim to offend you," Morgana finally spoke, "Is that all?"

The girl shrugged. "I doubt you want to hear stories about my many experiences. Unless you take any interest in Lord Kanark's sons and their obsession with Cervena call girls. I've had quite a few moments with them."

Morgana looked a bit disgusted. "Uther had many qualms with Lord Kanark. Camelot forged no alliance with Cervena because he hated him. War was to be waged but in the end, Camelot gave up."

"That's because Cervena had a shit army back then. Now, I don't know. He's constantly planning war against Uther but he has no power, no one on his side, nothing."

A smile crept up on Morgana's face. "He has nothing to worry about. The king is dead."

Laila froze. "What?"

"Yes. He died a few days ago. Prince Arthur is crowned King of Camelot."

It took a moment for Laila to register this. Nearly all her life, all she would hear was about King Uther and his tyrannical ways, how he pursued and killed those with magic, and sorcery was banned in Camelot. Anyone breaking the law would be punished through execution. Laila shuddered to think what would happen if she had grown up in Camelot and was found out.

"Is he now?" she said, sitting up in her seat. "Am I to assume he's any different from Uther?"

"Not as much as he thinks he is," Morgana responded. Laila detected a hint of anger in her voice. She looked sympathetically towards the witch. "Call me mad again, but I'm finally starting to understand why you did what you did."

"Looks like we're beginning to understand each other," Morgana smirked, "How wonderful. So you do know that I am Uther's daughter by blood and that I claim full right to the throne? That I intend to rule fairly, remove the law banning magic, so on and so forth?"

"Now it is my turn to ask you," Laila started, "Why is it, that witch with a powerful sister and an immortal army was thwarted by a handful of knights?" It was Laila's chance to hear more about Morgana.

"Seems information really does travel across the lands. How have you heard so much about me?"

"There are a lot of men who come to Cervena from Camelot. They're not as pure and holy as you think," Laila informed.

Morgana snorted. "I would've guessed it. But back to your question. Let's go back a little before we get to that point." Morgana stood up and began strolling around the table. "When Arthur found me, I played a perfect role as the king's beloved ward. Staying undercover was my best option and it fooled everyone. I had Uther wrapped around my finger and no one had the nerve to place any blame on me. It was going to be easy. Or so I thought."

"Someone saw right through you," Laila guessed the reason. Morgana nodded. "Yes. Right from the beginning."

"Seems you weren't as graceful about it as you thought you were," Laila commented, twisting a strand of light brown hair with her index finger. "Well, who was it? A member of the court? A maid?"

"Not even so," Morgana said. She grabbed onto the back of Laila's chair and leaned in, speaking in a cold, deadly whisper. "It was his worthless, meddling manservant by the name of Merlin."

Out of nowhere, Laila burst into laughter. "What the hell is so funny?" Morgana demanded.

"You're kidding, right? Arthur's manservant was able to figure you out from the beginning?" Laila slowed down her laughter to small giggles. "Either he's the smartest servant I've ever heard of or you're just horrible at being subtle."

"This is no laughing matter," Morgana snapped, glaring at Laila, "That little shit ruined my plans, killed my sister, and forced me to live in this pile of dirt. Everything I had so carefully planned and worked for, he destroyed."

Laila stopped laughing completely, realizing it was inappropriate to laugh even if wasn't typical, having a servant smarter than the master. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed. It just seemed… ridiculous that this Merlin character figured you out before Arthur did."

"Oh, it's no surprise. Arthur's naïve. He believes the best in those he is close to," Morgana replied calmly. Laila was starting to shiver again and she noticed. Promptly, she turned to the fireplace and muttered, "_Lígfýr_." Immediately, wisps of fire began to burn and Morgana motioned for Laila to come join her. The girl happily obliged and this time, they sat around the fire. Laila instantly felt warm. "I know that spell. I've picked up a few here and there. The rest is all elementary."

"You have a lot of training to do," Morgana commented, sitting down. She momentarily forgot about her story and asked, "Is there anything special about your magic? Anything extraordinary?"

Laila thought for a moment. "I'm not sure if this is anything different, but… I see things, before they happen. Sometimes they do, sometimes they change. A lot of the time they change…"

"You're a Seer," Morgana said knowingly. "I know how you feel. I am the same. In fact, my dreams were how I found out I had magic. My visions were coming true."

"They're awful," Laila groaned. "I see things that I can't believe. Things that are impossible, can't happen. It's frustrating how my mind can play tricks on me like that."

"You should be wise not to ignore them, Laila," Morgana advised, "They may come true."

Laila rolled her eyes. "I doubt it. Just now when I was asleep, I saw I was walking down a castle corridor. And not the one back in Cervena. I don't know where it was but it was different. Warmer, not so intimidating."

Morgana looked at Laila with interest. "Is that right…"

Laila eyed her. "Yes. But that I will ignore. It's never going to happen. When am I going to find myself in a castle?"

"Indeed," Morgana muttered. She studied Laila for a moment before rising out of her chair. "You're probably hungry after today."

"Starving, actually. I haven't eaten since the bandits bought me from the house two days ago," Laila sighed gratefully. As appreciative as she was for Morgana's help, a part of her had to wonder what Morgana was being so kind. A woman like her wouldn't be like this- unless it meant she got something in return. Laila didn't think about it while she and Morgana ate. Her stomach ached for food and she wanted to be silent for a while, not even talk about herself.

When they were done, they resumed sitting by the fire. Laila wondered what would become of her later on. Would Morgana kick her out or let her stay? She tried not to think about when Morgana opened her mouth to talk.

"You have potential, Laila," she began, "You're still relatively new with all your magic. But with training, you'll have great power and no one can lay a single hand on you."

"And you're willing to be the one to help me with this?"

Morgana smiled. "You don't need to be a Seer to predict that, I see. But yes."

Laila knew what was coming next. "But there is something else, Morgana. You offer to help me- but I can sense you want something in return."

"How observant you are," Morgana murmured, eyeing Laila with what looked like slight admiration.

"I've learned a lot about you today. I respect you. And I am in your debt for saving my life. But I am not your servant and neither will I be. If that is what I owe you, you might as well let me go back to Cervena."

"You needn't get so defensive, Laila. I don't intend to make you my servant." Morgana got up and this time, she paced around the dying fire. "For years, you've shed your dress for the pleasures of other men, am I correct?"

"Explicitly so." _Stay collected, Laila. She's trying to say something here._

"That's been your job all your life to keep you alive. What would you say if I told you that I could introduce you to a new life where you won't have to sell yourself to any man and no one will touch you in any way that displeases you?"

This struck some interest in Laila. "Go on."

Morgana was behind her again, hands on her chair. "Imagine it for a moment. You'd have a home and paid work, you wouldn't worry about food or water, all of that. And not in some town like Cervena. No. Imagine all this… in Camelot."

Laila scoffed at this. "You almost had me, my lady. But even you can't set foot in Camelot. How can you give me that so-called great life?"

"It's very easy," Morgana replied smoothly. "I have an insider at Camelot."

"You're telling me you've got another traitor in disguise doing your work for you?"

"Right again. And it's not just any man. It's the king's uncle. Agravaine is his name."

"The king's uncle? Gods Morgana, is everyone slowly coming to your side?"

"Soon they will," Morgana grinned evilly, "that is, when I take the throne."

Laila breathed a sigh. "Haven't given up, then? I wish you luck on that. Has Merlin caught on with Agravaine yet?" She was humoring Morgana at this point. After all, one insider wasn't going to do anything or work to her advantage.

"You're much more useful than I thought you to be," Morgana noted, "And you're guessing right. Agravaine has failed me many times and his greatest failure is letting a servant see right through him. He's fooled Arthur yet he cannot fool Merlin. For what reason, I cannot understand."

Laila looked down at her hands. It was just coming to her that maybe her vision would come true now that Morgana was talking about it- was the corridor one of Camelot's? Could she really have that life? The girl thought about this while Morgana continued, "Merlin was the reason my plans failed. I'm willing to bet my life that every attempt was ruined by him. If I had fooled him from the start, this all would've been okay. I would've been the queen."

"You've underestimated him," Laila murmured, "From what you've said, Merlin is not so easily manipulated. Not even by the king's uncle."

"You continue to be correct. Listen to what I have to say to you, Laila. Are you listening?"

"I have been and still am. What is it?"

Morgana began, "In order for me to take the throne, I cannot risk any more mistakes. Agravaine is working to help me but if he's under suspicion, it will all fail. He can't change Merlin's mind. I don't trust him, he WILL be caught every time."

"What are you saying?"

Morgana leaned and said into Laila's ear, "I need your help."

Laila felt a shiver run down her spine as she heard Morgana's whisper. She should've seen this coming- all this talk of a new life in Camelot, the complaints about Merlin, how Agravaine was letting Morgana down. The witch needed more help and at the perfect time, she came across Laila, a girl from Cervena. She stared straight ahead, her eyes darkening in color._ How I wish I could've finished off those bandits myself. And now, I owe this witch._

"I know what you want me to do," she muttered, not meeting Morgana's eyes until she turned to look up at her. "And I won't do it."

Laila stood up, feeling a rush of anger inside of her. "So clever, aren't you, witch? A helpless call girl falls into your lap in desperate need of help. And you take advantage of her. I know what you want me to do and I won't do it. I will not be that manservant's whore. Find someone else."

Morgana's face flushed and she narrowed her eyes. "I saved your life and I'm giving you the chance to a new one. You'd be an incredible stupid whore if you much prefer going back to Cervena and letting Lord Kanark's sons leave all those bruises on your body"-

Laila hastily covered herself up. "That is no new life! It's the same one, with just a single person!" she yelled, her face turning red. Her dress was so ripped up, Morgana had seen the black and blue marks. She wanted to cry and already her eyes were burning but she held it back.

"Listen to me," Morgana insisted, reaching over and grabbing Laila. "Look at yourself. Look at your dress, if you can even call it one. Look at all these bruises. Not think about how you've been treated in the past? Have you been beaten?"

Laila shut her eyes. _No, no, not this…_

"Answer me. Have you been beaten by any of the men?"

"Yes," she choked, shoving Morgana back. "But what does that mean to you?"

"You can't protect yourself, Laila, because you don't know how to hone the magic inside you. I bet you are strong _and_ you're a Seer." Morgana dropped her voice. "And you won't have that until magic is allowed in Camelot. When I'm queen, it will be allowed. You can practice it all you want. You can make those men suffer the way you have. I will let you because I know suffering. I know how it feels to be alone, to be scared. I can help you."

Laila bit her lip. "You can't help me. You barely know me."

"I can help you," Morgana assured, "I am helping you. I'm giving you a chance at a new life. All I ask is that you provide a distraction to Merlin so that when the time comes and I am queen, you will have your revenge."

Laila was silent. "And my magic? Just how will you help me with that?"

Morgana paused then walked towards her. "I'm going to make you a promise. If you do this for me, then I promise I will help you control your magic. In exchange for this, of course. A new life, control over your magic… what more could you want?"

The girl sank into a chair, thinking to herself. Yesterday, she had been a lady from the pleasure house, exposing herself to please men to be able to live. She was bought from there by bandits who were moments away from killing her when Morgana saved her. And now something was being dangled in front of her and she had never felt more taken advantage of than now. _Provide a distraction for Merlin._ Laila wasn't clueless, she knew what that was going to lead to. That was a life she had tried many times to run away from and to take this was the complete opposite of what she wanted. But now Morgana tempted her with training her and her magic. If Laila was able to master controlling her magic the way Morgana had, she would no longer have to be Morgana's puppet. If she spent some time in Camelot, provided extra distraction, and at the same time, got help, she would leave. That was it. She could protect herself from anyone who tried to harm her or lay a hand on her. Laila wouldn't even have to wait for Morgana to become queen; as soon as she had a grip on her powers, she was out of there.

_They'll regret messing with me then._

Taking a deep breath, Laila looked up at Morgana. "Fine. I'll do it."

Morgana' lips curled into a nasty smile. "Good choice."

**A/N: This took me forever… this chapter was basically to give some information on Laila and her background and also, Morgana's plan. In the next chapter or the one that follows, we'll finally see Merlin and Arthur. From the looks of it, you all are liking the story! I'm happy to hear. Please read and review, I greatly appreciate the feedback! Cheers!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Morgana ended up not using torturous methods to convince Laila to do what she wanted. Such luck that she came across the tramp in her time of need. All she had to do was dangle an opportunity in front of Laila that she'd be an idiot to resist. Of course Morgana was reluctant to perform any dark magic to control the girl- she connected with her and was able to feel her pain. She thought about the day where Camelot would finally be hers and everyone would pledge their loyalty to her. If Laila were as smart as she had shown herself to be, she would do the same.

The sky darkened and Morgana let the girl sleep in a corner she had set up for herself. She didn't just doze off- she was practically unconscious. The day had been long and the witch did not disturb her. Instead, she sat by the dying fire, deep in thought. Laila had come from a city that was considered an enemy of Camelot. Yet Cervena lay low. Its army didn't stand a chance against the knights and if Lord Kanark even tried, he'd lose his city, his family, and all his precious luxuries.

_An infamous man_, Morgana said to herself in her mind. _And repugnant to allow the mistreatment of women in his own city. If Uther was anything like him, I would've taken Camelot sooner and without any hesitation._

The woman laid eyes on the sleeping girl in the corner. Laila was on her side, her arm tucked under her head, her face calm, and her breathing steady. She wondered what it was like for the girl, sleeping in a roomful of many other women, all most likely older than her, sometimes in another man's house. _Lucky for you, you'll be in one house and with one man. Don't you worry. I'm sure Merlin will be extra gentle with you._ Morgana completely disregarded the fact that Laila was a witch too. If she had been hiding it all this time, she'd have no problem hiding it in Camelot.

The witch had different problems, starting with how she was going to take the kingdom. Morgana had no army, no alliance with an enemy, none of that. Agravaine was only so much help to her and as useful as Laila could be, she came with no men on her side. Morgana needed more than just distractions. It would take a long time for the knights to pledge their loyalty to her once the throne was hers. She needed her own group of loyal men.

Her door opened and Morgana jerked her head to see Agravaine walking in. A smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Good to see you," she greeted in a steady, cold voice. Agravaine knew that there wasn't much sincerity in her voice but she felt the need to say it anyway.

"My lady," he replied, not taking notice of Laila. He sat down next to Morgana.

"I trust you have news for me?" Morgana addressed, not expecting any but it was worth a shot.

"I fear not as I have not been successful in my task. I've yet to find someone that may come of use to you." Agravaine hung his head but it only made Morgana smile wider.

"Your shame is flattering, Agravaine. But you need not look any further. I have found someone." Morgan turned her head in the sleeping Laila's direction. When Agravaine followed her gaze, he nearly jumped in surprise.

"Who is that? How long has she been there?" Agravaine demanded to know.

"Her name is Laila," Morgana explained, lifting herself out of her chair and walking over to the small girl. She brushed her fingers against her cheek and watched Laila stir slightly. "A call girl from Cervena. Poor thing was being bullied by bandits and I saved her life while out getting firewood."

"Cervena, you say?" Agravaine sounded wary. "You have heard what they say about the girls there?"

"Don't assume so much, Agravaine, there's more to this one's story than you think," Morgana snapped and Agravaine immediately shut his mouth. Morgana left Laila to sleep and she crossed back over to the man. "There's one thing you should know, my lord. She is a girl with magic but unlike me, she has no power over it. Which is why I struck a deal with her- if she is to go to Camelot and do as I ask, then I will help her."

Agravaine looked up at her. "And she agreed."

"Indeed she has."

"But my lady, a girl with her reputation wouldn't be given so much as a job mining beneath Camelot's dungeons."

"Don't be so daft, Agravaine. She's obviously going to have a new story. I'm sure we can think of something. Something that will make the kind and generous King Arthur give her a notable position, something to catch the attention of his beloved manservant." Morgana's voice was venomous when she spoke of Arthur. Calling him king made her sick; he did not deserve the position any more than Uther did.

"A quick question, Morgana. If you wish to strip away her previous identity, how do you intend for her to, how you've said, distract Merlin? Surely the best way was to"-

"Exactly what she thought last night," Morgana cut in. "But there are other ways besides taking off one's dress at the delight of another man. Although I should say, I doubt Merlin wouldn't want to after he sees her. He is, after all, a man deprived of any pleasure ever since he began serving Arthur."

"You make a good point," Agravaine admitted, eyeing the girl. "She looks fairly young. How old is she?"

"She did not say. But she is young." Morgana sat next to her ally, ready to fully discuss the plan with him.

"From Cervena you say," Agravaine mumbled, "Well, well, well. It appears that snake Kanark hasn't put a ban on prostitutes yet."

"I'm sure Laila has plenty of stories to tell us. After all, you won't be the only one around to keep me company."

"Laila," Agravaine repeated the name, glancing at the girl once more. "Uncommon name although I can't say it's not alluring."

"Oh, trust me. You'll find her very alluring," Morgana chuckled. "Now then, Agravaine. We must plan how we're going to do this. And I'll make it quick."

* * *

><p>"That was horrible," Arthur Pendragon groaned, stripping off his chainmail and getting ready for bed. Merlin, his servant, laughed quietly to himself as he prepared Arthur's bed. The prince was now a king which meant taking on double the amount of duties. Already, it had taken its toll on Arthur. He had been complaining all day about some of the most pointless things he had to do on top of training and council and squeezing in a round of hunting.<p>

"I had to preside over a trial, and over what? Stolen bread!" he ranted, tossing his shirt over the screen, "Who cares if it was one of the fresh ones? The boy was starving!"

"He could've been in disguise," Merlin suggested even though he was just teasing.

"You must find yourself very funny, Merlin," Arthur shot back, coming out from the screen and walking to his bedside.

"I've been told I have a great sense of humor," Merlin shrugged.

"I'm sure you pick up all the ladies in town with your quick wit," Arthur remarked sarcastically, slipping underneath his sheets.

"Will that be all, sire?" Merlin asked. He'd done everything- fluffed the pillows, straightened out the bed sheets, even put a jug of water nearby in case Arthur was suddenly overcome by thirst.

"Normally, I'd leave you with a lot more to do but I'm too tired to come up with anything," Arthur yawned. "That'll be all, Merlin, thank you."

"You're welcome, sire. Goodnight." Merlin turned to blow out the candles and then leave Arthur's chambers.

"Mhmm," the king muttered, turning on his right side and shutting his eyes. _Finally_, Merlin thought to himself, _I really hope Arthur doesn't think he's the only one who had a lot to do today. When he has a lot, he makes me work like a fucking dog_. It wasn't like Merlin to curse, but when he was tired and not in the highest of moods, it just came out. At least, in his mind.

As Merlin walked down the hall back to his chambers, he heard a noise outside and looked out the nearby window. Someone was riding off on horse, leaving Camelot. Merlin's best guess was that it was Agravaine. The uncle may have fooled Arthur but he wasn't so easily swayed. Many times, Agravaine had snuck out of Camelot and when Merlin's curiosity got the best of him, he followed the king's uncle to find that the man was an insider of Morgana's. Of course he couldn't tell Arthur this. But this did mean that Merlin had to be twice as careful when it came to Morgana's next attempt to kill Arthur.

Merlin considered following Agravaine but he found he was too tired. It was one of those moods where he'd deal with it in the morning. As he continued down the corridor, he noticed Sir Gwaine and two maids outside his chambers, giggling away. Something told the warlock that Gwaine had taken a familiar trip down to the tavern today and picked up some women who needed a break from their jobs. Merlin shook his head as he watched Gwaine smoothly charm the women into his chambers and close the door tightly behind him. _Always the lady killer, isn't he?_

The warlock couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy after what he had just seen. He was sure Gwaine wasn't the only knight who had his "moments" with any woman. Sirs Leon, Percival, and Elyan, who were also Merlin's friends, surely had experiences with women. And Arthur had Guinevere, the ex-maidservant to the Lady Morgana and his true love. They all had busy jobs yet they all had the company of a woman at least once in there time. As for Merlin, he could embarrassingly admit that he hadn't done anything with a person of the other gender in his life.

When Merlin went to bed that night, he lay awake, thinking about this. He remembered his first love- Freya, the cursed Druid girl who was killed by the knights and was now in the lake of Avalon. Merlin had seen her once more when Camelot was taken over by Morgana and he needed a helping hand. But that was the extent of which Merlin had any romantic female company. He couldn't remember feeling anything strong for a girl since Freya.

For a short period of time, Merlin had fancied the Lady Morgana. She was once a beautiful woman, elegantly dressed, very kind at heart. When she realized she had magic, Merlin had done everything he could to help her. But the witch's hatred for Uther combined with her fear of getting caught overtook her and she turned bitter, turning against everyone but her sister Morgause. Many times, he had stopped her and to this day, he still indirectly did. When he thought about it, Merlin couldn't believe that this was the same woman he found himself taking an interest to years ago. Morgana was such a different person now and it still broke his heart to think about the drastic change in her.

Merlin sighed, unable to sleep. He had friends- there was Gwen, one of the first people he met when he first arrived at Camelot. And then there were the knights, although Merlin was closer to Gwaine than to the others. Then of course, his guardian, Gaius, the court physician. And, even though it was never mentioned out loud, Arthur was a friend to Merlin despite the fact that they were master and servant.

But he wanted more. He wanted someone who was more than a friend to him; a significant other. Someone he could love in that special way. He wanted it to be a mix of Morgana and Freya; first he'd take interest. Then, he'd fall in love. Only his love would grow strong, become like Arthur and Gwen's.

And shamefully, Merlin admitted this to himself- he was probably the only grown man who still hadn't, how Arthur would sometimes put it, "gotten any". The last time he got any form of action was when he kissed Freya and that was, two years ago? Three? But that didn't count. Merlin was human. More importantly, he was a male. He'd had enough of taking care of his frustrations by himself. He craved the company of a woman- to feel and taste her skin, delve himself into her, light her body on fire. Love her.

Merlin sighed again and tried to get some sleep. _But with the way Arthur's working me, I'll never find someone. Besides… it's not in my destiny._

* * *

><p><em>She was weak, aching all over, fallen on the dirt of the forest… it had to be… she recognized the trees… she heard voices all around her, an unfamiliar man shouting then lowering his voice and whispering to her…<em>

_A pair of arms held her and found herself looking into a pair of the bluest eyes she had ever seen…_

When Laila woke up, sun was just beginning to rise. She yawned and stretched, lifting herself up from her corner of the hovel. This time, the girl remembered clearly where she was and who she was with. No small details left her- Laila remembered very well what she had just gotten herself into. So when Morgana came upon her the minute she opened her eyes, she knew today was the beginning of a new life for her.

Racing through washing up and breakfast, Morgana surveyed the girl before her. "Your dress is so worn," she commented, "It shows all your bruises… aren't one to give in too easily are you?"

Laila shrugged. "That's why Lord Kanark's sons liked me. I gave them reasons to beat me. His youngest likes to call these 'badges of honor' because I let the son of a lord fuck me."

"Ah, yes. I've heard of him," Morgana spoke, sounding repulsed, "When Arthur was young, he got into a fight with him. What was his name again?"

"Rheon Kanark." Laila tried not to cringe at that name. Of all the men who had abused her, he had been the worst. He was youngest son of Lord Kanark and also the most cocky, brutal, and invasive. And unfortunately, she had become his favorite.

"Ah, yes. Disgusting little brat. If Arthur weren't so kindhearted, he should've killed the bastard right on the spot," Morgana spat, feeling the fabric of Laila's dress between her fingers. "Did he do this to you?"

"Mostly him. It doesn't matter anymore, don't worry about it," Laila replied hastily.

"It will matter once Camelot is mine," Morgana insisted, "That little shit's going to pay for this."

Laila sighed. "What were you saying about my dress?"

"It'll go well with the plan. You'll get more clothes when you get to Camelot." Morgana ran her fingers up Laila's shoulders. She couldn't get her eyes off the black and blue marks on Laila's pale skin. The girl ached all over but she wasn't about to let Morgana notice it. Laila stopped her hand. "Enough already. I told you not to worry about it."

"You definitely need my help. Once all this is done…"

"I know, Morgana, _I know_. Now are you going to tell me the plan or not?"

"Don't rush me, I'm almost there. We have to wait for Agravaine so you'll get the full plan. Now, tell me what your story is."

Laila took a breath and recited the story Morgana had given her- she kept her name but changed everything else. She was from an unknown village, of a family of four. After her village was attacked by bandits and her family killed, she decided to make her way towards Camelot to make a living for herself. It was a short, simple story but it made Laila wonder how it would cover her backside safely.

They waited until Agravaine showed up. Laila simply nodded in his direction, taking in his appearance. He was tall with a brushed back black hair, dressed in black, a face that looked as if it barely smiled (and if it did, they weren't real).

"Good to meet you, Laila," Agravaine said, sticking out a hand. Laila glanced at it then back up at him. "Likewise, my lord." But she hardly meant it. He retracted his hand and forced a smile. "Right, yes."

The man turned to Morgana. "We best hurry. Arthur is planning a hunt this morning."

Morgana's mouth curled into her famous evil smirk. Laila wasn't used to it and looking at sent a shiver down her back. The witch truly had some effect on everyone, whether good or bad. "Perfect. They're in for a lovely little surprise."

"Hold on a second," Laila cut in, "You're going to throw me out into the woods and wait for them to catch me?"

"She catches on quickly," Morgana informed Agravaine who raised his eyebrows. "You're almost right this time, Laila. We're not just going to let you wander around in the woods. Besides, Agravaine will know exactly where you are and will lead them to you."

"Morgana, Camelot knights aren't the only ones in the forests. If anything, those same bandits from yesterday will come catch me in no time." Laila suddenly regretted jumping into this so fast. She wanted to tell Morgana to give it a few days, to carefully plan this out. But Morgana would start in on how there was no time left and this had to be done now. And Laila didn't want to give a reason to use any dark magic to force her.

"Just trust me," Morgana insisted, taking Laila's hand. "Do you trust me? Say that you do."

"…To a certain, extent," Laila managed.

"It's not good enough. I need you to trust me completely. I promised I would help you and I always keep my promises. Your life will not be in danger Now say it. Say that you trust me."

Laila looked into Morgana's eyes. For the first time since she'd met the lady, she finally saw a true sincerity in her eyes. Alert as she remained, she took a breath. "I trust you… not to send me to my death anyways."

"Excellent," Morgana smiled. It wasn't an evil smirk- it was a genuine smile, "This is going to benefit the both of us. You have my word." Laila smiled back at her, detecting excitement in Morgana's tone. _She really does want this._

Agravaine cleared his throat and the two shot glances at him. "Sorry to interrupt this intimate moment," he said, "But the hunt is to begin soon and Arthur has insisted I join him this morning."

"Of course. But wait, one last thing." Morgana turned to get something off her table. It was a small bottle, colored a dark blue. Her eyes flashed gold as she muttered, "_Croftes þes eccedrenc eac swefn __átor_." The liquid inside bubbled before going flat again. Morgana turned to Laila and handed her the bottle. "Drink this."

Laila looked at the woman skeptically. "What is it?" Did Morgana think she was that stupid.

"It's for your bruises. I don't want you to go through the trouble of having to explain them to anyone." Morgana motioned for her to drink it. "Please. It'll stop the aches you feel. Trust me, remember?" Agravaine threw a worried look in Morgana's direction. His expression matched Laila's feelings.

The girl eyed the bottle in her hand. She wasn't skilled with her magic so she hadn't the faintest idea what Morgana had just said. Nevertheless, she did feel some pain and it was unattractive, the marks on her body. _If she tricked me, I'm so getting her back._ Laila slowly tipped the bottle into her mouth and drank the tasteless, odorless substance. She looked first at Morgana then to Agravaine. "I don't feel anything."

"It'll be a while for it to take effect," the witch explained. Satisfied, Morgana led Laila out the door followed by Agravaine. She turned to him. "And you have made sure that Merlin is with them?"

"Yes. He goes wherever Arthur goes," Agravaine answered confidently.

Morgana snorted. "Isn't he so admirably loyal? And have you figured out how Merlin himself will be the one to find her?"

Agravaine was silent but Laila spoke up, "Wait… am I going to be running into him? Because if I am, I think I'll be able to recognize which one is the knight and which one is the servant."

"Oh no, Laila. You won't be running around. That'll make it far too difficult." Morgana looked to Agravaine. "I'm coming with you. Show me where they will be hunting. I know these woods like the back of my hand."

Agravaine and Morgana mounted on their horses. The witch told Laila to climb onto hers, she was small and fit easily. Laila was grateful; she grew tired of running around all the time. As Agravaine led Morgana to the area the knights would be, Laila started feeling woozy. Was this the potion taking effect? She looked at her skin. The bruises hadn't disappeared at all.

"M-Morgana," she stammered, starting to sway a bit, "I don't think your… potion is working."

"Quiet, Laila," Morgana said. Her voice was starting to sound faint. Laila was barely conscious now. What in the world was going on? The horse felt light as Morgana got off and her and Agravaine both took her off. Laila's body felt like liquid, almost like she had no bones in her.

"I can't move," she mumbled, "What the fuck was in that stupid potion?"

"Easy," Morgana's voice was barely audible. "Sleep draught."

Laila gasped as her body was lowered onto the dirt below her. "You poisoned me?" she screeched, trying to get up but she felt the potion take effect throughout her body. "You lied to me, you… told me I'd go myself… you…" Her eyes began clouding up. She felt Morgana place a hand on her forehead and gently turn her head to the side. Laila stopped fighting and instead, the potion knocked her out within the next few seconds.

"I don't like this," Agravaine mumbled as soon as Laila went unconscious for the second time in two days. "This is a bad idea, Morgana. You don't know the girl, you barely took the time to get to know her."

"I know enough," Morgana snapped, getting up from the ground and walking back to her horse. "She's given me plenty to work with. And she's perfect for the job. Really now, what's more perfect than a lowly whore from Cervena for a lowly manservant from Ealdor?"

"She could still be trouble!" Agravaine snapped. "Who's to say that she won't turn her back you? Who's to say Merlin won't change her mind? Who"-

"Because that girl has no one else," Morgana replied simply, climbing onto her horse, "I am her only chance at survival. I am the reason she's even going to Camelot in the first place. She knows what will happen if she turns her back on me."

Agravaine huffed. "Still, could've picked someone better than a call girl from Cervena."

"You judge too much, Agravaine, give the girl a chance. Besides…" The corners of Morgana's mouth curled upwards, "I've learned a lot about Cervena today. The information could prove useful. Very useful indeed."

**A/N: Hey, hey! So I know the bit with Merlin was short but I felt it necessary to show what he's thinking. You'll get a lot more from his point of view as the story progresses. As a special treat, I'm giving you this update earlier than I intended seeing as you all seem to like the story (which I am very happy about)! **

**Please keep reviewing! Tell me all your thoughts- how you feel about Morgana's plan, about Laila, what you think will happen, what you want to happen. Your feedback is very important to me. Cheers!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Merlin, are you ready to go or not?" Arthur rushed in an annoyed voice, waiting on his servant. Merlin frantically ran down the stairs at the front of the castle, carrying Arthur's supplies with him.

"Sorry, sire!" he called out, nearly tripping in front of his master. He managed to regain balance and stood, ready to leave with the rest.

Arthur rolled his eyes at him. "You always take forever."

"I can't help that hunting isn't my favorite."

"Get used to it, Merlin. That's how life is." _Maybe yours but mine doesn't involve killing animals for enjoyment._ But Merlin bit back his comment. There was no use in getting punished today- he'd end up being the one Arthur hunted after. Instead, as soon as everything was set, he walked as quickly as possible to follow the hunters to the forest. This morning, Arthur had insisted his uncle join them since usually he was back at the castle, probably planning his next sabotage. But at least here, Merlin could keep an eye on him, where the day was sunny and the air felt clean and fresh. The forest didn't seem so intimidating in the daylight either.

"Nothing like a good hunt to jump-start us into the day, right Uncle?" Arthur said positively, looking over at Agravaine who rode alongside him. Agravaine managed a smile that to the untrained eye, seemed like enthusiasm for the sport. Fortunately, Merlin was a lot sharper than he looked and he saw right through it.

"You know, sire," he spoke up, tightening his grip on the reins of his horse, "I do recall a good area where the animals go the most. I haven't gone there in such a long time, I hardly remember the correct path to it."

"You are more than welcome to lead the way, Uncle," Arthur allowed, signaling for the rest of the knights behind him, "Tell us where to go and we will follow."

"I wish not to disappoint, my lord," Agravaine continued and Merlin looked away to roll his eyes. "I would like for us to have a great hunting experience, especially since I haven't had to chance to do much myself," the man continued, putting up a dramatic act.

"Nonsense, Uncle. I'm sure wherever it is that you lead us, we'll be successful." Arthur waved his hand and the knights behind him followed, talking amongst themselves. Merlin trailed next to Arthur, sighing. He wished he wasn't the only one who could see Agravaine's "trustworthy relative" act. It was putting a lot of stress on him, making sure Arthur was safe. Wherever Agravaine was leading them could be a trap and more men from Morgana's side could jump out at them and cause trouble.

"Why so glum, Merlin?" A smooth voice interrupted Merlin's thoughts and the warlock turned his head up to meet the shifty brown eyes of Gwaine. The knight had his signature grin pasted on his face, the one that usually came up when he was drunk or ready for a good fight.

"Not very big of hunting, Gwaine," Merlin replied, shrugging his shoulders. He had trailed from Arthur's side as the prince was riding with his uncle and Gwaine was now next to him. Merlin shot a smirk up at Gwaine. "I wouldn't think you'd have the energy. Have fun last night?"

If Merlin had been saying this to any of the other knights, he'd be given a five-second head start then the arrows would start flying in his direction and he'd have to take refuge up in a tree somewhere. But this was Gwaine he was teasing- he could take a crack like this. Gwaine shook his hair and gave Merlin a cocky expression. "Girls from the tavern are the easiest. Keep that in mind."

"You shouldn't talk like that," muttered Elyan from behind Gwaine. "I'm willing to bet those girls were married. Or at least, already spoken for."

"If they were, why'd they agree so eagerly?" Gwaine countered, not sounding the least bit moved. "You're one to talk, Elyan. Just last month, I saw you charming your way underneath the dress of another girl from the tavern."

"That was Percival!" Elyan yelled. In front of them, Sir Percival whipped his head around and glared at them menacingly. "You said you wouldn't say anything!"

"Calm down, Percival!" Gwaine laughed, giving his hair another flip, "After all, there's nothing like a good fuck to liven things up around here. Right, Merlin?"

Merlin's cheeks flushed red and he looked the other way. His face grew hot when Gwaine addressed him once more. "Merlin? Don't you agree?"

"Don't waste your time, Gwaine," Arthur spoke from in front of the group. He completely ignored the fact that his uncle was right next to him and his tone was both amused and taunting. "Merlin wouldn't know what a good shag felt like if you placed him in a room full of whores." The entire group of knights laughed. To Merlin's embarrassment, so did Agravaine. The warlock seethed silently to himself, keeping his eyes fixated to the ground. It took all of his power not to release the rage building up inside him. Arthur's insults could be humiliating- but this was just a downright nasty comment that left an unpleasant feeling in Merlin's stomach. How much he resented his master for being so inconsiderate of his feelings… and blatantly correct on this one small detail about Merlin.

But Merlin couldn't dwell any longer about Arthur's comment. A familiar feeling crept up on him and he paused and closed his eyes for a moment. He sensed it- magic. It was easy to feel and anytime someone or something magical was near, Merlin could sense it. But when he raced to catch up with the group, he found that it was starting to overtake him. It was a strong sense enough that it was practically burning up inside of him. But what was it and where in the world was it coming from…

"Over there!" Arthur yelled, directing the knights towards what looked like a deer, running off in the opposite direction in which Merlin felt the magic. Instead of running with them, he made sure their attention was away from him and he dropped the supplies and ran towards where he sensed it. It grew more powerful as he came closer. Merlin dropped down and crept into the woods, afraid what he was sensing wasn't good but pure evil. If anything, Morgana could jump out at him any minute.

But when Merlin looked on, he held his breath because it wasn't Morgana. A girl was lying unconscious in the grass, her dress ripped up, barely covering her bruised body. A new flush of red appeared on Merlin's face when he realized that if the dress was torn anymore, she'd be more or less exposed in certain areas. He crept closer, dropping to his knees when he was by her side. She was young but she was developed- her pale skin was adorned with black and blue bruises from the neck down, her dress barely covering her lower still. Her wavy hair was a light brown, some of it covering her face. Without thinking, Merlin brushed the strands away, getting a good look at her.

She was a beautiful girl. His magic continued burning up inside him. Merlin's breathing sounded heavy in the silence as he carefully scooped her into his arms. "Hey," he whispered, trying to get her to wake up. He shook her a little but she wouldn't wake. Merlin's eyes drifted to the marks on her body. His fingers brushed over them, a few reasons coming into his head that could explain them. Bandits, for one thing. Repugnant, unforgiving, merciless bandits who would take advantage of her. The possibilities of what had happened to this girl ran through his head and Merlin was so ashamed to admit that as he held her in his arms, a surge of lust shot through him. How the knights wouldn't laugh at him then… _What the hell is wrong with you?_ _This is no time for that. She needs help. _

Merlin felt her body stir and was nearly startled when the girl opened her mouth and screamed loudly. She started thrashing about, trying to free herself from his grip. "No, no, stop!" he yelled, "It's okay! It's going to be okay!" The girl's eyes flashed gold and Merlin's magic reflex acted fast and he was just barely able to use his magic to change the direction in which the rock was flying.

The girl stopped and stared up at him. Merlin stared back into the loveliest pair of honey brown eyes he had ever seen. "I'm not going to hurt you," he murmured, "You're safe now."

"You… you're…" the girl struggled to make words but Merlin hushed her.

"My name's Merlin," he whispered, "What's yours?"

"L-Laila," she stammered. She looked so shocked to see him, almost as if she couldn't believe it was him even if she had never met Merlin before. Laila tried to release herself from Merlin's arms. He stood up with her and let her go. She took a few steps but was still a bit weak to walk and fell onto him. Merlin caught her instantly. "You're not fit to walk yet. What's happened to you?"

"I… I was… walking, and…" Laila squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

"Are you alright?"

"No. No, I'm not alright… fuck, I am NOT alright…" Laila cursed, backing up. She looked up at the warlock. "What you just saw…"

"I won't tell anyone!" Merlin interrupted quickly. "I promise."

"But you're the same… you just…" Laila stumbled a bit and Merlin promptly caught her again. "I am the same. I'll keep your secret if you keep mine. Now, will you please let me help you?" Not waiting for an answer, Merlin laid her back down. He surveyed her for anything he could treat on the spot. "Where were you headed?"

"Camelot," Laila muttered, turning her head and looking the other way. "But then I was… attacked."

"Bandits?"

She merely nodded. "They're not going to hurt you now. Not on the king's watch."

"King Arthur?"

"Yes," Merlin nodded. "I assume you have a reason for coming to Camelot?"

Laila nodded again, her eyes looking far off, her face absentminded. Their conversation was cut short by the sound of Arthur's voice. "MERLIN!"

The warlock sighed. "You need not look further. The king himself is here."

"Oh…" Laila looked back up at Merlin. "You won't...?"

"Swear," Merlin promised. He stood up when the knights approached the two. Arthur cocked his head to one side and swept his blue eyes over Laila and then back at his servant. "What's happened here, Merlin?"

"Well, well, well," Gwaine smirked, "Seems Merlin's got himself a new lady friend."

"Silence, Gwaine," Arthur snapped, letting the warlock speak.

"I found her," Merlin explained, "She was laying here knocked out but she woke up." Laila lifted her head to take in all the knights and she tried as surreptitiously as possible to cover herself. Arthur got off his horse and began making her way towards her. Laila apprehensively took hold of Merlin's arm and held him in front of her as to put up a guard between her and the king.

"It's alright," Arthur spoke in a soothing voice, "I'm not going to hurt you." Merlin stepped aside. Laila lowered her gaze and flinched when the king placed a hand on her shoulder.

"My name is Arthur," he introduced, bending down to her height and trying to get her to look at him. "What's yours?"

"Laila," the girl muttered in a barely audible voice, refusing to look Arthur.

"And where are you from, Laila?" Laila didn't answer neither did she look back at Arthur. Instead, she inched closer to Merlin and he wrapped an arm around her protectively. The prince shot him a threatening look and the knights tittered at this action, practically like giggly girls.

"She's overwhelmed right now, ask her questions later," Merlin advised. He didn't know why he was holding her like this, he had just met her. But it had become something of Merlin's nature to help those who were vulnerable, sorcerers or not. Laila looked nothing like her, but her fear and her hesitancy to speak reminded him of Freya. He didn't blame Laila for being frightened- she had just woken up to a bunch of strangers, of course she'd warm up to the one she related the most to. In terms of magic, that is.

"We should take her back to Camelot, sire," Agravaine suggested, "Who knows who left her in such a state and if they are to come back or not."

"Of course!" Arthur nodded, "I wouldn't dream of leaving her alone in the woods. God knows what's out here."

"Neither would I," Gwaine said and the rest of the knights snickered at his blunt statement.

"That's enough, Gwaine," Arthur snapped. He turned back to Laila, his voice going soft again, "We're taking you to Camelot. Unless you were headed to another town, we will gladly take you there if you'd like."

"She was headed towards Camelot," Merlin answered for the girl and she gave him an appreciative squeeze on his arm.

"Thank you, _Mer_lin," Arthur rolled his eyes. "Let's go. Hunting will be cut short today."

Merlin gently nudged Laila. "Come on. Arthur's kind to strangers, I promise."

"If you say so," Laila sighed. Merlin smiled at her encouragingly and helped her up on one of the knight's horses who was nice enough to let her take it. The warlock glanced at Arthur who led the way back but it was Agravaine who caught his attention.

The man was smiling slyly.

* * *

><p><em>You were so stupid. You were SUPPOSED TO HIDE YOUR MAGIC, NOT ATTACK HIM WITH IT.<em>

_But he has magic too. Does Morgana know that?_

_It doesn't matter, idiot. Just a second in, and already you've ruined her plan. Morgana's going to kill you._

Laila's conflicting thoughts went back and forth during the ride back to Camelot. Of course, things would've gone better if Morgana hadn't drugged her. It was Laila's instinct to immediately attack if she woke up to a stranger hovering over her. She wouldn't have guessed that the stranger was so conveniently the man she was supposed to seduce. _Well, this is going to make my job a lot more interesting…_

When they reached the outskirts of Camelot, Laila gazed up at the white walls of the castle in awe. It was beautifully constructed, towers tall and great, nothing like the dark and foreboding castle back in Cervena. It felt so welcoming to her and she knew her vision was coming true. "Camelot," she whispered to herself. They entered the citadel and it was almost a shock to her how everyone looked busy and cheerful, not sullen like the people back home. The horses stopped and the knights stepped down from them. Merlin showed up at her side and reached his arms up. "Come on, I'll help you down," he offered.

Laila smiled gratefully and let him lower her from the horse. "Thank you," she murmured. The whole time, Arthur was observing the two of them with curious blue eyes. Out of the corner of hers, Laila could see Agravaine smirking approvingly. She felt relief- at least he'd be able to tell Morgana she was doing her job well.

"You're welcome," Merlin said back and Laila realized she was back in his arms again, staring up at him. _Okay, back away now, before you take things too fast…_ She moved away from, a pink shade creeping up on her cheeks. All her life, she was used to acting like she was infatuated with any man who laid a hand on her. But it seemed this didn't require much acting. Already, Merlin was having an effect on her when it was supposed to be the other way around.

Arthur came up to the two of them. "Sorry to interrupt this rather intimate moment," he smirked at Merlin, "But it appears our guest needs rest." Arthur looked at Laila who finally turned her head up to him. "Are you hurt? Do you need attending to?"

"A little bit," Laila played her part, "My bruises could use… looking at…"

"Of course. Merlin, take Laila to Gaius, make sure she gets treated properly."

"Will do," Merlin nodded, motioning for Laila to follow him.

"Gaius?" Laila questioned warily.

"The court physician," Merlin explained, "He's also my guardian. Trust me, he'll be loads of help with your pain."

"I'm sure," Laila sighed. Her bruises hadn't been looked at by any physician and Rheon had made sure they never faded.

_If there's any upside for me in this, it's that I get treated more like a human being and less like a worthless creature._

* * *

><p>Morgana sat in her hovel, ultimately satisfied with herself. She could feel it- things had gone according to plan. Laila should have been at Camelot by now, probably being treated by Gaius and- if she did her job well- already captivated Merlin's attention. She had told Agravaine to bring her news as soon as he could to see if her requests had been met. Morgana expected him to inform her by tonight.<p>

The witch had given it some thought and while her opinion about the Kanark family had not changed, her plans had. Cervena was a known enemy of Camelot yet for years, they had not made any attacks. Their true weakness wasn't their strength- it was the poor planning and leadership of their lord. With a good leader and a straightforward plan, they would surely have a victory.

All they needed was a leader.

And Morgana needed an army.

Her plans were almost complete.

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay! Updates will be more frequent as I am on break next week. Please continue reading and keep up on the reviews and I will publish the next chapter shortly! Cheers and enjoy!**

**EDIT: Kissy Fishy pointed something out. I didn't make it very clear how Merlin stopped the rock from hitting him. He used his magic. I edited it so it would make more sense. I hope I didn't confuse the rest of you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When the cold evening approached, Morgana sat near the fire, staring into the flames. Hours had ticked by and still Agravaine had not arrived to bring any news. She had spent most of her day scheming and thinking about how Laila was doing right now and if she was doing her job right. It was almost a punishment, the simple act of waiting. Besides, the witch had liked the girl's company. Most of the time, Morgana was lonely and it felt nice, having Laila around, even for just a day.

As she began to slowly doze off, the worn door to her hovel opened and she sprang up to her feet, brandishing a dagger. She breathed out an impatient sigh when it was only Agravaine who walked in. "You're late."

"I apologize, my lady. I had to make sure no one was following me," Agravaine explained.

"Punctuality is not your best quality, my lord," Morgana remarked, crossing her arms. "I trust you bring me good news?"

"Indeed I do," Agravaine said triumphantly. Morgana slid back into her chair and the man joined her. She leaned in. "Well? What it is? Did they find her?"

"Not just they, my lady. _Merlin_ did. If you had seen it, how proud you would have been. Already had his arms around her, guarding her from everyone else," Agravaine recounted, sitting back, obviously pleased with the news. The corners of Morgana's lips curved into a sinister smirk and she silently applauded Laila for doing her job well. "Very good. And what about when you got to Camelot?"

"She first got her bruises treated by Gaius. If I am to assume correctly, Merlin was with her the whole time."

"And her story? Did they believe it?"

"She fed it to them and they ate it up like hungry dogs," Agravaine said smugly. "A lonely girl from a far off village attacked by bandits, her family killed."

"Arthur falls weak for sob stories such as those," Morgana sneered, "How could he turn away such a poor, innocent girl who's lost her family?" She could almost picture it in her head and could almost cry in happiness that her plans seemed to be falling through. But there was more to be done and she had time to celebrate later. "And you are sure Merlin believes her story?"

"I see no reason why he should not," Agravaine insisted, "And she is hiding her magic well. Not even a small eruption."

"Very good," Morgana murmured. "Our work will soon pay off. Give her a few days to adjust in Camelot, then bring her to me." Morgana may not have been the same woman she was before but when it came to promises, she intended to keep every last one she made. She had promised to help Laila and she would- but only as long as she kept up the good work. Dare she slip and Morgana's plans failed, the witch would feel no remorse, giving the girl back to the wretched sons of Lord Kanark.

"The question now, Morgana, is what you're going to do next," Agravaine brought up, his full attention on her.

"Don't you worry, my lord. I'm ahead you." Morgana stood up from her chair and circled around Agravaine. "I want you to leave now. Come back to me three days hence and bring Laila with you. I want to know how she is doing."

"Three days? But why?" Agravaine asked, standing up as well.

"I have some matters to attend to and they will take me a few days to complete." Morgana went to the hovel and opened the door. "If you don't mind, I must prepare for a journey. I shall expect you in three days, with Laila. Is that clear?"

"Morgana…"

"Is. That. Clear?"

Agravaine sighed. "Yes, my lady." He walked out of the hovel and Morgana followed him, watching him mount on his horse. "At least do me the courtesy of telling me where you're going in case I have to come looking for you."

"I doubt that'll be the case," Morgana chuckled, "And I will tell you when I return. Just follow my orders. And Agravaine… don't leave any room for failure."

The man bowed his head. "I will not let you down, my lady."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Morgana mounted on her pristine white horse and rode down a less traveled path. She knew these woods like the back of her hand but not all paths were familiar to her. Thankfully, Laila had skill in memorizing directions and shortcuts and had been a tremendous help to Morgana. As she urged her horse to go faster, she thought about how she was going to do this. Her magic was powerful but Morgana did not want to make any threats. It would not achieve compromise and it definitely wouldn't gain her an army.<p>

Morgana had left early in the day. By the time she reached her destination, the sun had just set and night was falling. She had just finished traveling in the north direction, away from Camelot and far from the kingdoms. She got off her horse near the outskirts of a gray, cold city, closed off with large, pale stone walls , the towers of the forbidding castle looming high.

"Cervena," the witch muttered to herself. The most notorious city in all the lands of Albion.

Holding her breath, Morgana walked forward, draping her black cloak over her to hide her identity. If Laila had recognized her, plenty more would do the same. When she entered the city, comparisons immediately grew in her mind. Compared to Cervena, Camelot was clean, spotless, a safe haven to outsiders. Here, it was the exact opposite.

For the most part, it seemed harmless, with people carrying about their business. But as she crossed into the city, she saw men were slumped outside on one another, drinking and yelling profanities at whoever passed by. Dirt-caked children shoved past her, screaming at the top of their lungs with tearful mothers chasing after them, begging them to stop. Morgana noted most of these mother were young, with barely any clothes to cover their pale, bruised skins. Indeed it was a chaotic sight.

"Hey! Hey!" a man's hoarse voice screeched. She whipped around, her green eyes shooting a glare at who dared to address her like that. A few men sitting outside what looked like the city tavern jeered at her. "How much for you?" the same man yelled.

Morgana felt angry surge through her and she held back the urge to mutter a good enough spell to knock him out silly. Instead, she ignored him and shut her eyes, blocking out the jeers and taunts. She was positive they were married men, drinking their lives away. What a horrible city this was…

The entrance to the citadel was open, guarded by two men near it. She approached them, pulling back her hood. "What business do you have in Cervena?" one of the guards questioned.

"I am here to speak to your lord, the Lord Kanark," Morgana answered smoothly. "I have some business with him."

"The Lord Kanark has fallen ill. His sons have requested no one to disturb him until he has regained his health," the second man answered, his steely black eyes burning into Morgana's. This was getting to be a lot more difficult than Morgana thought. "Who is your lord here?"

"As of now, the responsibilities have gone to Lord Kanark's three sons, my lady," the first guard spoke.

"And what of the Lady Kanark?"

"She is not in Cervena at the moment. We are sorry but we are going to have to ask you to leave, the family wishes to see no new guests at the present moment," recited the second guard.

Morgana's lips pulled up into her signature smirk. "Please," she began, "I mean you no harm. It is urgent that I speak to your masters."

"I'm afraid it'll have to wait. They'll have our heads if we were to disobey orders."

"Very well," Morgana sighed, "If you say so." Morgana turned to leave, grinning evilly to herself. These two guards just messed with the wrong witch. Whipping around, she thrust her palms out, her eyes flashing a lustrous gold. The guards let out a cry as they were thrown back into the wall. Sharp cracks were heard as they slid to the ground, unconscious. "Unlike you, I don't take orders too easily." Satisfied, Morgana walked into the citadel. Pulling her hood back over her head, she crossed the short distance of the square to the main entrance of the castle. From there, another guard stopped her. "What business do you have in the castle?" he asked harshly.

"I wish to speak to Lord Kanark's sons," Morgana repeated, really not in the mood to knock this one out as well and find the throne room herself.

"The guards let you through?"

Morgana nodded, not even stuttering. "It's an emergency."

"If you will follow me," the knight said. Morgana walked behind him, eyeing the dimly lit corridors. It was freezing inside the castle. She hated to think what winter was like in Cervena. They must have been brutal. The guard stopped outside large, ornate doors where two more guards were waiting. He whispered something to them and they whispered back. One of them went into the room and came back out, nodding his head. They swept their eyes over Morgana and swiftly swung the doors open. She bowed her head once before taking a deep breath and going in.

Three young men sat on their thrones, watching her attentively as she walked inside. Laila had described them each perfectly. She recognized the youngest, Rheon, with the messy reddish brown hair and icy blue eyes. He sat to the right of Tom Kanark, with his short brown locks and green eyes. To Tom's left was Jon Kanark, black hair and brown eyes. They were the three handsome sons of the Lord Kanark; handsome yet cruel. Morgana inwardly chuckled, knowing she could take them out easily, feeling pure disgust rile up inside her when she remembered what Laila told her. But then she reminded herself why she was here and held back the urge. In an obligatory manner, Morgana dropped to her knees and bowed her head respectfully. "My lords," she addressed.

"I thought we told the guards, no guests!" snapped Rheon, "Who the fuck is this?"

"Quiet, Rheon," snapped Tom, shooting him a look. He turned back to Morgana. "Reveal yourself, stranger."

Morgana pulled back her hood and lifted her head. She stood up when the three brothers' faces creased with recognition. They knew who she was.

"Morgana Pendragon," Tom murmured, leaning forward. "Guessed it the minute you walked through these doors."

"I feel flattered you spotted me well," the witch commented. "How sharp you are."

Tom wasn't moved by her. "You know we don't take kindly to witches. Is your last wish for immediate death?"

"I'm sorry for the interruption, my lord," Morgana spoke calmly, "But I come to you on urgent business."

"And what business do you have with us?" Tom said, sounding every bit as collected as she was. Rheon was glaring at her and Jon was silent and expressionless.

"I come to you not as an enemy, but as an ally," Morgana began, "For I too have suffered in the hands of my former king, Uther Pendragon."

"Really? What has your father done to you, witch? Has daddy touched you in bad places?" Rheon mocked her. Morgana clenched her palms, ready to beat the living shit out of the arrogant asshole. "Uther was my father by blood. Nothing more."

"You will hold your tongue, Rheon!" Tom exclaimed. Morgana kept her cool. There would be time for revenge later. He turned back to her. "Last we heard the news, Uther was dead and his son Arthur took the throne."

"And he is every bit like Uther," Morgana replied, "A curse upon this land, as was his father. I seek revenge for the pain they have inflicted upon my people. And I am quite sure that you do too."

"Uther has not attacked our lands in over a decade," Tom replied, getting up from his throne and walking towards her. Morgana dropped back down to her knees and lowered her head once more. He stood in front of her. "I've told you before we do not take kindly to those with magic, let alone assist a witch in her time of need."

"Hear me out, my lord," Morgana reasoned, elevating her head to meet Tom's eyes. "For years you and Camelot have clashed. They have battled you and won, taking the lives of your men. Who is to say that Arthur isn't planning the next move? You may be a small city but you hold rights over these lands. Don't think Arthur won't take them by storm."

"He wouldn't stand a chance," Rheon boasted from his seat, "These lands have been under our control for years."

"Camelot's army is the strongest in all the kingdoms," Morgana pointed out, shifting her eyes to Rheon, "A measly one like yours is the one that truly does not stand a chance."

"You make a fair point, witch," Tom spoke, "But you have some ulterior motive to this."

"I have suffered losses as have you," Morgana argued, rising to her feet. She was shorter than Tom, but he was no threat to her. "Don't tell me the idea of taking over Camelot is not appealing to you?"

"Do you think we're daft, witch?" Rheon laughed, "Everyone knows what you're aiming for."

"How many times must I tell you to shut your mouth?" Tom snapped.

"Are you hearing the same thing? This bitch wants us to give her our army so she can take Camelot."

"That is true," Morgana agreed, "But I am not the only one who wants Prince Arthur's head served to me on a silver platter." At this, the brothers' expressions changed once more.

"Our father fought Uther for years," murmured Jon. This was the first time had uttered a single word. "He would want nothing more than to see his son dead as well."

"That's surely what I want," Rheon muttered, sitting back on his throne, "I fought the little blond twat back when we were younger. One more strike, he could've killed me." He eyed Morgana, getting comfortable on his chair. "And why is it you want your brother dead, witch?"

"Be a little smarter, Rheon. She wants the throne for herself. Don't you, Lady Morgana?" Jon assumed. He was the only one who wasn't calling her witch and actually addressed her as a lady. Morgana nodded respectfully. "It is my rightful place, Lord Jon. I may have the last name but I am no Pendragon. I will not allow for any lives to be lost in my hands and I will never persecute those I see different than me."

"You seem more noble than your father and brother, witch," Tom said, going back to sit on his throne. "And yet I am unconvinced of any of this."

"You have nothing," Rheon snapped, "No plot, no idea, no nothing on Camelot. How do you expect us to ally with you? You're basically asking us to run into our deaths."

"And that is where you are wrong, Lord Rheon," Morgana smirked, "I have not one, but two insiders in Camelot."

"And just how reliable are they?" Tom questioned.

"One of them is King Arthur's uncle, Lord Agravaine, on his mother's side. Arthur trusts him more than anything."

"And the other?"

Morgana smirked. "A girl from this very city. I found her yesterday in the hands of bandits and rescued her. She is now my second insider. Her name is Laila."

A look of shock appeared on Rheon's face. Then slowly, his lips formed a smirk that matched Morgana's. He let out a laugh. "Well isn't that a fucking surprise? My favorite whore from the brothel, working undercover for the witch of Camelot."

"We sold Laila to the bandits a few days ago because my brother here took it too far with her," Tom explained bitterly, casting his eyes on his younger sibling. Rheon merely looked back smugly. "And I wish you didn't. I loved that little tramp. Gave me a reason to give her a good beating. Women are most desirable when they resist you."

Morgana's lip curled in disgust. How she wanted to kill him right now…

"So bottom line, the whole point of your journey here was to become our ally in a fight we cannot win?" Tom asked, going back to the main point.

"The reason you have not won past fights was due not to the strength of your army, but to the poor planning of your father," Morgana stated bluntly.

"The nerve of you, speaking of my father in such a way!" Tom said angrily.

"Do you deny it, my lord?"

"I…"

"She is right, Tom," Jon agreed. "Father was not skilled when it came to war."

"And now he's lying on his deathbed, slowly wasting away, I presume?" Morgana asked. None of the brothers spoke. She hoped she had somehow begun to sway them to see her point of view. "I come to you at this time because I can help you win this battle. When the time has come to attack, your army will be trained and ready to bring about the fall of Camelot. And when you do, your enemies will be dead. Listen to me, my lords. We will be powerful if we combine… together, we will bring Camelot to its knees."

"And what good will it do for us? For our city, our people?" Tom pointed out.

Morgana knew was going to ask this. "When I take the throne, Camelot will be your ally. No longer will you face your enemies on your own. Your city and your people will be safe."

"You would forge an alliance between two well-known enemies?" Jon inquired.

"Without hesitation. But only, only… if you agree to help me," Morgana reasoned. The brothers glanced at each other, as if telepathically considering Morgana's offer. She had made it as tempting as possible, dangling a great opportunity in front of them as she did with Laila. Cervena people looked so easy to convince.

"Alright, Morgana," Tom turned back to her. "We'll give your our army."

Morgana breathed a sigh of relief. Such luck that things were going her way. She was so ready to use her magic, it took all her power to hold it back. "You won't regret this, my lords. I always keep my promises."

"Then you better keep this one, Lady Morgana," Jon warned, "Not only do we not take kindly to witches but we show no mercy to traitors."

"Just one thing, witch," Rheon brought up. "The call girl, Laila… you say she is at Camelot now?"

"Working undercover for the royal household, if I am not mistaken," Morgana answered.

"Rheon"- Tom tried to cut in but he held up a hand. "I'm adding one more thing to our little promise. We give your our army, you give us your promise of alliance… and give me back that whore. Alive and still tight. It was bad enough I had to give my favorite prostitute away to bandits only to have her living an undeserved life in Camelot."

Morgana's eyes narrowed. She had sworn to herself she would never let a single man lay a hand on Laila. And here was this man, with the nerve to ask her to "give Laila back" as if she had been an object stolen from him. But if Morgana said no, her army would be denied.

"Give me your army and I will give you Laila back." Her tone was steady, but in her mind, she thought, I'll make sure you get Laila back. _And when you do, I'll kill you right in front of her along with the rest of Camelot. I'm sure she'll take great pleasure, watching the life sucked right out of her enemy's eyes._

The plan was set.

**A/N: Please read and review, your feedback is most appreciated. This chapter was short, but necessary as it is part of the plot. The next few chapters will focus more on what's going on in Camelot and with Laila and how her relationships with Merlin and Morgana progress. The brothers of Cervena will come back soon. Cheers and enjoy! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"I'm sure you'll be quite comfortable here," Guinevere smiled reassuringly, setting up an area in the corner of her small home in the lower town of Camelot for Laila. She had put together a few sheets and pillows and pulled back the curtain so she would have privacy. Earlier today, when the girl was brought in after receiving treatment from Gaius for her bruises, she told her planned out story about her village and the bandits. She added that she intended to come to Camelot to find work and as expected, Arthur did not deny her help. The maid, Guinevere, spoke up and said she would take Laila in to live with her and she would work alongside her in the royal household.

"Thanks, Guinevere," Laila smiled back appreciatively, touched by her kindness. This was the woman Morgana had spent a while ranting about last night- the long dark hair, big brown eyes, kind face, and the love of Arthur Pendragon's life. Guinevere had been Morgana's maidservant all her life when the she was still the king's ward. From what Morgana had told her last night after she agreed to helping her, the maid was to be the future queen. And Morgana was _not_ about to let that happen…

"You can call me 'Gwen'," she offered, "Most of my friends do anyway. Except Arthur sometimes calls me Guinevere, actually a lot more than, 'Gwen', but-"

"Gwen's fine," Laila interrupted, laughing. "Again, thanks for taking me in. It means so much to me, having been through what I have." _Play it subtle, Laila. Don't overdo this and make another mistake._

"Of course! I can only imagine what you've been through. I suppose I can sort of relate," Gwen chatted animatedly, going to sit at the table.

"Really? How so?" Laila asked curiously, sitting down herself.

"I used to live with my father but he was executed by Uther when it was discovered he had consorted with sorcerers," Gwen explained, her tone dropping a few octaves and turning soft and sad. "You are lucky that Arthur is king now. I know in my heart he would never half the things that Uther has done."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Gwen," Laila said sympathetically, "I have only met Arthur but I can already tell just by the help he has given me that he is a good king."

"He is," Gwen said, a smile spreading across her face as she thought of her love. The dreamy appearance on her face made Laila want to giggle. So this was what it was like when someone was in love! Gwen was a good person, yet she was a threat in Morgana's eyes. She guiltily thought about how she was only strengthening Morgana's schemes and hated to think about how many innocent lives would be lost, Gwen one of them.

"Will you excuse me a moment?" Laila announced, getting up. Gwen raised her head. "Of course! Where are you going?"

"Just going to take a walk, get a little accustomed to the city."

"Would you like me to come with you?"

"Thank you, Gwen, but it's alright, I'll be back quick." Gwen nodded and Laila smiled at her one more time before stepping out of her house and into the cool night air of Camelot's lower town. She did want to get familiar with her new setting and she also wanted to clear her head. Laila walked through the lower town but it was fairly empty. Easily bored, she made her way to the castle. Gwen had given her one of her old dresses to wear and offered to fix up her old one so it would be appropriate. Laila gladly agreed. The dress she was wearing wasn't exactly her style.

Back in Cervena, the three Kanark sons weren't allowed to have ladies from the brothel in the castle, so frequently, the girls would have to sneak out by climbing down. Laila had been a favorite so she had mastered this skill after having done it numerous times. She stared up at the towering, grand white walls of the castle, fascinated by its architecture. It would be rather difficult to climb up or down as it was larger and taller than the Kanarks' castle. Then again, would Laila ever have reason? Instead of being daring, she entered the citadel, debating on whether or not she should explore the castle. Her mind was swimming and she decided to sit down outside instead and let her thoughts wash away. Laila perched herself next to one of the pillars that guarded off a hall leading into and out of the castle. If anyone passed by, they'd see her with her back turned to them, facing the square, one leg dangling off the edge, the other tucked underneath. She leaned against the pillar on her side, hoping no one would stop and question her and let her be.

Laila thought again about what had happened over the past twenty four hours or so. Merlin found her knocked out by a sleeping draught. She woke up screaming and exposing her magic to him. It was discovered that Merlin himself had magic, something Morgana had not told her. Probably because she didn't even know. Agravaine hadn't spoken to her either, so it meant she was doing well. But how far would this go until she screwed up again and gave everything away?

The girl sighed, realizing that this was a harder task than being what she normally was. Back in Cervena, she knew the people, how to please them, what made them tick. And she knew how to do her job. Here, it was difficult. These people were strangers to Laila and no ounce of detailed descriptions could ever brace her for this. Morgana may have told her about each person she would come across but that didn't mean Laila would know how to act around them. And specifically, around Merlin. How was she supposed to "distract" him anyway? What did that even really mean? Was she expected to act like a whore for him even though she was not supposed to be one? Laila was so wrapped up in her own questions that she barely took notice of who was passing by.

Arthur chose to go to bed early tonight and dismissed Merlin from his duties. Merlin practically wanted to kiss the ground, he was happy for the chance to finally relax after a long day. So much had happened, starting with discovering Laila in the woods and realizing she had magic to hearing her story about how bandits attacked her village and killed everyone, including her family. For someone who had been through that, she was shocking calm and cool about it. Merlin supposed each person had their own way of dealing with things.

He walked down the outer hall of the castle to get back to his chambers- rather, the court physician's, but he considered them his now after living there for so long. Earlier today, Gaius had been inspecting Laila's bruises. She said the bandits had tortured her for a while before leaving her unconscious in the woods. The bruises didn't look so fresh, more like they had been there for a while. But Merlin wasn't about to question it. He didn't want to sound insensitive.

It was then the warlock spotted someone sitting on the ledges of the castle hall, leaning against a pillar. He raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw it was Laila, staring out into the square with an absentminded expression in her face. What was she doing out here? Last he remembered, Gwen had taken her in. Perhaps she just wanted to get to know her new home. Whatever the cause, Merlin felt himself being steered in her direction. "Laila?"

The girl jumped and turned her head to see who had addressed her. She blushed when she saw it was Merlin. "Oh! Um… hello there."

"Hello," Merlin greeted, flashing a smile in her direction. Her reaction had been funny and he found the pink flush that crept up on her cheeks when he smiled to be charming. He liked to think it had some effect on her. "What are you doing here, sitting all by yourself?"

"I was walking around the lower town then ended up here. Shall I leave?"

"No, no! You don't have to, I was just wondering…"

Laila smiled. "I thought for a minute you were going to kick me out, tell me the king doesn't want anyone loitering in his citadel."

Merlin laughed and Laila looked a lot more relaxed now. "No, I wouldn't do that. You're free to sit here, just don't let a guard catch you."

"A bit on the uptight side?" she presumed.

"They take their positions very seriously," Merlin shrugged. "I wouldn't blame them. You'll come to find a lot of complications happen in Camelot and their uptightness comes with good reason."

"I don't doubt that," Laila said, "Trust me, I've heard plenty of stories about what's happened here."

"Seems news of the many adventures in Camelot travels fast across the lands," Merlin sighed, thinking back to them and everything the city had been through the past few years. "Vengeful witches, angry dragons, jealous kings, changelings, family problems…"

"Makes the problems I've had to deal with over my whole life seem minimal," Laila commented, "I guess that's what drew me to Camelot."

"Even after all that, it seemed appealing to you?"

"Look on the bright side. At least it's not lacking in excitement," Laila joked and Merlin laughed again, his former suspicions of the girl slowly dissipating. He was growing to like her already. She had a sense of humor and the previous nervousness she had conveyed seemed to melt away. Or maybe that was just when it was with him.

"So… mind if I join you for a little bit?" he offered.

"Not at all! I could use the company." Merlin sat across from her on the ledge. He'd always be apprehensive of new visitors to Camelot. Most of them ended up being the opposite of what they claimed to be and brought nothing but trouble for him and for Arthur. Laila seemed harmless but there was nothing wrong with being sure of it…

"The king seems nice," Laila spoke up, starting another conversations after the short pause between them, "He did after all, just assist me in my time of need."

"That's one of Arthur's best qualities," Merlin said with pride, "He'll never turn away those who need help, no matter where they come from." _The problem is, he's just naïve and only sees the good in people. _

"I admire that," Laila said, "You don't find too many royals like that."

"No royal who loves his kingdom as much as Arthur."

Laila looked down at her hands then back up to meet Merlin's gaze. "It must be quite an honor to work as his manservant."

Merlin scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah. Polishing his armor, cleaning his room, washing his clothes, mucking out his horse's stalls… I've got people lined up, ready to take my job."

Laila laughed and Merlin found himself loving the sound of it. It wasn't loud but it wasn't quiet either, and almost had this musical tone to it. She shook her head at him, "You tease about it, but I'll bet people really want that job."

"I wouldn't say anything against it," Merlin admitted, "Although sadly, there are others who want his head more than they want to serve it."

Laila's expression faded and she tore her honey eyes away from his. The warlock was suddenly very wary of himself- had he said something offending? She opened her mouth to speak. "I guess that's the downside to being king… how you seem to have more enemies than the average person."

"Arthur has enemies alright. But only one still hasn't given up," Merlin muttered. Laila's mood seemed to change altogether and she looked so uncomfortable, he seriously considered it had to be something he said. He straightened up and tried to change the subject a little. "I never got to talk about this with you… I haven't told Arthur about… you know…"

Laila's eyes lit up. "Right. Thank you. And I'm sorry I attacked you like that. It's just my natural instinct."

"I don't blame you. Waking up in the arms of a stranger," Merlin pointed out. The girl returned to smiling again. "I'm happy I did. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here right now, would I?" She pulled her dangling leg up and hugged her knees to her chest. "How did you find me anyway? Did you wander off from the hunting group?"

Merlin tried to find a good way to explain it. "It… it was pretty strange, to be honest. I strayed from the group because my magic started acting up. It's like I felt it, coming from your direction."

"Do you normally sense magic in other witches and warlocks?"

"Not always. I'll always get this suspicion that they're doing something involving magic and usually I'm right about it. But I can't say I've actually sensed it from a distance," Merlin explained. "What about you? Did you feel anything?"

Laila shook her head, looking sheepish. "I wouldn't have known you had magic if you hadn't used it. But it's probably because I've no proper knowledge in it. Except for basic things, like throwing inanimate objects at people I don't know." Laila rolled her eyes, "Pathetic, isn't it?"

"It just takes practice. Did your family know you had magic?" Merlin asked, pressing further into the matter. He didn't want to get into business that wasn't his but was worth a shot. He did want to know more about this newcomer to Camelot.

"No, they… my village was against it," Laila answered slowly, as if choosing her words cautiously. "They didn't take kindly to sorcery. It got to be difficult, hiding it all the time. I got no help for it, no way to educate myself about it." She breathed out a sigh and swallowed. "Do you know that feeling? Where you feel so alone, like no one understands? And because of that, people just take advantage of you?"

Merlin knew the feeling all too well. Most of the sorcerers he had met turned out to be evil and the one he had any connection to was killed in the hands of his master. The only person who was still alive that knew of his magic was Gaius and he was the closest thing Merlin had to someone who understood him. He was always the one saving Arthur's life but it wasn't like he could tell him. Magic was banned and even if he used it to save the king's life, he'd face dire consequences, for having magic and lying about it. Other than that, Merlin was just the king's lowly manservant, nothing more. No one truly knew of his capabilities. "I get it. I've saved Arthur's backside more times than I would care to count but he still sees me as an underachiever."

"I'm sure he's happy to have you, Merlin. If anything, he probably trusts you the most out of everyone," Laila assured, "I say that and I've barely been here a day."

Merlin scoffed at this. "He trusts me, but it doesn't mean he listens to a word I say." He looked out into the square and realized that it had gotten very dark and the only source of light was from the few torches near the citadel's entrance. He was able to make out the girl's outline and chose to show off a bit. He carefully scanned the square, making sure there was no one who would notice. Holding out his hand, Merlin muttered, "_Léoht._" He saw Laila's golden brown eyes widen at the ball of light appearing in his palm. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "There. Now I can see you better."

"Merlin," Laila huffed, but she sounded amused. "You've been here for years and me only a day and I'm following the rules better than you are?"

"I haven't been following the rules since day I stepped foot into Camelot," Merlin pointed out. "Besides, it got dark. I could barely see you."

The girl tilted her head to one side as she eyed the light coming out of his palm. "Amazing," she murmured, "This would've been so useful when the night completely blacked out the woods. But I was stuck squinting like I was blind out of my wits."

"I could help you, you know," Merlin brought up, closing his palm. The light disappeared but Laila's eyes stayed fixed on his hand. "With your magic, I mean. And other things. Like what store to go to when you need something specific or… stuff like that."

Laila felt her heart skip a beat when Merlin said this. He had just offered to help her with her magic. The exact same thing that Morgana had promised her. She couldn't believe how quickly her bad luck had turned to good. It was a way to provide distraction for Merlin without involving her taking anything off. And Morgana could have Agravaine complete his tasks without Merlin on his case! She didn't know Merlin had magic. It would be quite an advantage for her, finding this out. But that would require spilling his secret for him and Laila wasn't one to break her promises…

She smiled gratefully. "I wouldn't want us to get into trouble just because I have no idea how to-"

"We won't get into trouble!" Merlin cut in, leaning forward. "Gaius gave me a book of spells when I first came here. I studied from it and that's how I know what I know. To this day, no one's caught me yet."

"Yet," Laila emphasized, chuckling. She hadn't even told him about her special gift- the fact that she was Seer. "That's very kind of you, Merlin. I'd like that very much!"

Merlin smiled. "It's really no problem. We can start whenever you want, and we don't even have to be inside the city, we can just-" The warlock stopped short when a figure riding a horse back into the square diverted his attention away from the girl. His blue eyes narrowed and Laila followed his glare to the man. She held her breath. Agravaine had just come in, stepping off his horse, probably to go tell Morgana of the day's events. _He better have said good things_, she thought bitterly, _Otherwise he'll be the first person I go after once I get my magic straight. Well, one of the first ones._ The girl had a long list of people she was planning on getting back at once she became skilled with her powers, starting with certain people back in Cervena.

"Is something wrong, Merlin?" she asked.

"Nothing at all," he muttered, turning back to her. "Listen, it's a bit risky to talk about this out here in the square. And it's late too, Gaius must be wondering where I am."

Laila nodded. "Gwen too. But I'll be seeing you around, won't I?"

"Of course! We work under the same king now so we'll definitely be seeing a lot of each other."

_Only making my job easier. _The two got off and Merlin flattered Laila by walking her back to Gwen's house. She certainly had never been treated this nicely by a person of the male race before and found herself coming to like Merlin a lot more than she thought she would. Granted they had just met, but he was… different. Interesting. And she felt at ease with him.

Standing outside Gwen's door, Laila gave Merlin another one of her shy smiles. "Thanks for walking me back here. You didn't have to."

He shrugged. "I wanted to. I'll see you in the morning, yeah?"

"Yes you will…" Laila was about to open the door to Gwen's house but before she did so, she turned and said, "Goodnight Merlin."

"'Night, Laila," he murmured, smiling at her before turning to walk away. Laila had her hand on the door but she kept her eyes on him until he was out of a sight. There was something about him, something she wanted to figure out. He intrigued her in such a way that she wanted to spend more time with him, know who he really was. It was really quite a shame that Morgana hated Merlin. In fact, the girl had to wonder- did Morgana ever feel a certain way for him and in the end, chose to hate him instead because it was easier? Yes, he was the reason Morgana's plans failed and supposed to be the enemy. And yes at the end of this, Laila would end up betraying him.

But Laila didn't want to hurt him. She really didn't.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hello, hello! I'm sorry I haven't updated this story in a while, I took some time off from it to finish the other one and start the sequel. But anyway, I'm going to try and update this more frequently so keep an eye out for the next chapter! **

**Like it? Love it? Want a certain something to happen? Tell me your thoughts and let me know in your lovely reviews. Cheers!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

About two days after Morgana had first proposed an alliance between her and the Kanark brothers, the Cervena army was put to training. She trusted the Kanarks to prepare them well. The brothers had been kind enough to let her stay a day or two while they presented this plan to their ill father. Lord Kanark was lying on his death bed and whatever say he had in the matter held little value, yet needed to be told. Their mother was away but Morgana didn't care if she agreed or not. All that was important was that the brothers did. _Alliance and army, check._

Early in the morning, Cervena was empty, an unusual sight in her mind. Morgana remembered how Camelot was always busy, but refused to dwell in any memories, at least until the city was hers. Instead, she went to retrieve her horse for the long journey back home. The men who worked under the Kanarks had taken her horse to the stalls for feeding and looking after. Honestly, Morgana was looking forward to be going back to her tiny hovel in the woods. Simply being in this city made her feel so dirty and violated. She felt almost sorry for the people, particularly the women as there was they were treated as complete inferiors, worse than she could imagine.

As Morgana walked with her horse out of the stalls, she thought about her stay in the castle. It was enough to make her wish she was the king's loving ward once more. Tom and Jon were tolerable, despite their mistreatment of the ladies from the brothel and the fact they even still had them. But the youngest one was a little twat. Laila wasn't exaggerating when she described Rheon; pretentious, crude, misogynistic, and domineering. Not to mention incredibly lustful. Morgana hated to see that this would be one of the men who would be assisting her. How awful and upsetting that her future came to this; practically begging ruthless brothers lend her their army, making Agravaine and Laila aid her in her plans, all while she sat around in her hovel, scheming and not being able to carry them out herself. It infuriated her, how dependent she was becoming on the help of others, particularly men like Rheon. But when it came down to it, what other choice did Morgana have? _One thing is for sure_, she thought to herself, _I'm not keeping any promises with him. He is the absolute last person I would give _anyone_ to, let alone Laila._

"One moment, my lady." Morgana turned her head to see one of the brothers coming towards her; the solemn, oldest one, Jon Kanark. The only one of the three who did not call her "witch", the only one she had even an ounce of respect. If it had been Tom or Rheon, she wouldn't have given them half her attention. But Jon, she could spare a minute.

"Yes, my lord?" she addressed, diverting her green eyes to meet his darker ones.

"It is a long journey back," he observed, dressed warmly in the chill of the gray city, "Surely you would feel much more complacent if you stayed here. A room of your own, we would offer you servants and other forms of service…"

"I thank you for your gratitude, but I will be much more comfortable in my own home," Morgana replied smoothly, "Unfortunately, I must decline your offer. I cannot stay any longer."

"Have we done something wrong, Lady Morgana?" Jon looked interested in what she had to say. Morgana had spent so much time kissing up to them to get them on her side. It was an unfamiliar feeling, being treated as an equal to a Kanark brother. And she was certain no woman had ever been treated this way.

"No, Lord Jon. I just have business back in my area," she answered, choosing her words to be as vague and open-ended as possible.

"Business? With the brothel girl?"

"She has a name."

Jon turned his gaze away from Morgana and to his horse, running a hand through its mane. "Yes… Laila was it? Lovely girl, though Rheon says she was a handful."

Morgana's eyes flashed in anger. "I'd like to imagine every girl from the brothel is a handful."

"None like her. Caused a lot of problems. One would think she was practicing sorcery." The woman said nothing although she would have loved to surprise Jon with an intriguing piece of news about the girl Rheon had been beating and violating countless times.

"Then I am glad I had given her the opportunity to live a new life in a new city," she finally responded.

"Though you will be taking that from her soon." Jon stopped stroking the horse and looked back at her, his eyes searching her. Morgana exhaled sharply, hating that he was reminding her of the deal she struck with Rheon. Telling Jon that she had no intention of keeping that promise was extremely risky. They were brothers, surely he would mention something. "I have to do what I have to do. Will that be all, my lord?"

"It is not a wise thing to make a promise with my younger brother, Lady Morgana," Jon advised, sounding serious, "Many have underestimated him, always thinking they are one step ahead. I do not know if you intend to keep your promise with him but just know that no matter which way you go, someone will be in danger. And I can guarantee it will not be him."

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "With all due respect, Lord Jon, it is also not a wise thing to be warning me against your own brother. I swore to myself I would keep Laila safe from any more harm. I will make sure that does not change."

"And yet you would give her to my brother? Let him do whatever he pleases with her?" Jon questioned.

Her lips curved into a smirk as she hoisted herself up on her white horse and pulled the black hood over her head. "Do not underestimate me either, my lord. I may seem lowly and cold, but I do keep my promises too. Even with a man like your brother." With that, she bid Jon farewell and made her way out of the bleak city of Cervena. Granted she had to come back soon. But that was another day. She was expecting Agravaine with Laila in the morning. It had been a while since she had seen the girl. _Oh, he'll get Laila back alright. But that doesn't mean he'll get to keep her._

* * *

><p>Over the next month or so, Laila began to grow accustomed to her new life in Camelot. Agravaine had taken her to see Morgana once but briefly; the woman just wanted updates directly from her yet did not disclose any information as to where she was making trips. Morgana had said they would have to hold off on practicing magic until her urgent business was over with. Laila didn't mind much but it seemed to bother Agravaine. All Morgana cared was that she was doing her job, though she did not have much to say at the time. Except for the fact that Merlin had magic. But Laila didn't even hint at this.<p>

Guinevere was very kind to her and helped her out when it came to her household duties. She was becoming a friend to her and Laila liked this. It was not a usual thing, having a friend she was slowly coming to trust but it felt nice. King Arthur was good to her too, and so were his knights. But most importantly, she was growing close with Merlin.

Merlin hadn't forgotten what he told Laila; that he'd help her with his magic. They usually met at night after their duties were done in the catacombs of the castle to practice with the book. He was patient with her, encouraging even and Laila was touched by his kindness. In the past, being alone with a man scared her to death and she would admit, the first few times, her heart was about to burst when she thought about being alone with him. But not once did Merlin lay a hand on her or touch her in any place without her permission. He was considerate of her and for that, she was very grateful.

Laila and Gwen were back inside Gwen's house just as evening was setting in. The darkening sky and the bright streaks of color were sights Laila was not used to. In a city like Cervena, where everything was cold, cloudy, and gray, this was truly a wonder. The day had been warm also, and the sun felt good on her skin, although her dress had been tight and hot.

"I hope you don't mind eating alone tonight, Laila," Gwen brought up sheepishly once they were inside, "Arthur has asked to have dinner with me in the castle, just the two of us."

A smile played on Laila's mouth. Watching Arthur and Gwen's relationship was truly a beautiful thing and she felt a twinge of jealousy that she never had this, just men taking advantage of her. "Not at all. No wonder we were excused so early tonight!"

Gwen chuckled softly. "He even let Merlin go early. Can you believe that? He never does."

"I find that hard to believe." Laila had gotten used to the quirky friendship that Arthur and Merlin shared. "He could use the rest. I have to say, Arthur works him to the ground."

"Those two," Gwen shook her head. She went to change into something a lot more suitable for dinner with the king. Laila didn't know why- Gwen looked lovely in anything she wore. Laila looked around for the dress she had been in the day Morgana found her. Gwen had generously mended it as much as she could and it was comfortable to wear when she wasn't at the castle. The dresses she wore now were tight in certain areas and the loose bodice on this let her breathe easily.

She waited until Gwen appeared, in a blossom pink dress and her hair flowing down her back. The woman looked radiant and Laila felt so simple and small compared to her. "Goodness, Gwen," she breathed, "You look amazing!"

A flush crept up on Gwen's cheeks as she smiled shyly. "You flatter me too much, Laila. Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?"

"I'll be fine," Laila assured, "You've taught me enough, I can manage for myself."

"You sure you wouldn't want some company? You know, Merlin's free tonight…" Laila stopped. She was aware that the teasing in Gwen's tone was meant to be light and friendly but the girl had a past too complicated to take jokes like this. "Free tonight" had a more explicit connotation to her than normally intended.

"Right…" Laila swallowed and forced a smile before disappearing behind the curtain. "I'll see. No harm in having some company." She pushed aside her previous thoughts. They were ridiculous, Merlin wasn't like that at all.

"You've been growing rather close with him," Gwen noted, "Is there anything going on between you too?" She sounded mischievous as she spoke. Laila wanted to block it out and she slipped into the other dress, ignoring the marks on her body. Truthfully, she didn't know what was going on with Merlin. Laila was getting close to Merlin emotionally, through the times they met up and even worked together in the royal household. Besides Gwen, he was lot of help to her when it came to which shops to go to and the like and thanks to him, she knew a few spells now, more or less. But Laila still had not told the warlock she was a Seer, that she had seen what her new future would be like. And she had been lying about her past all this time. What was a true relationship like that of Arthur and Gwen's if there were skeletons in the closet yet to be cleaned out?

"No," Laila shrugged, appearing from behind the curtain. "Just friends."

"We'll see," Gwen grinned. She said goodbye to Laila and left, leaving the girl alone in her small home. Laila found that she wasn't hungry and sat at the table, sighing to herself. She regretted agreeing to this- this was a lot more complex than being a lowly whore at Cervena. Her relationship with the men had been purely no-strings-attached. Here, it was questionable whether Merlin's- or even her- feelings would remain platonic or would develop into something more. With hope, they'd remain the same. Otherwise, Laila would not only appear as a traitor but a complete heartbreaker. She would crush him and the girl did not have the strength to do so. She wasn't Morgana, not in the least.

_I can't stay here,_ Laila thought. _Once this is all over, I'll have to leave. Run away to some new city or town, make a living there. I could do that now. But she'll find me. I know she will._

A knock on the door made her jump and she looked nervously. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Merlin." Her eyes lit up and got up to open the door. Merlin stood there, dressed in his usual servant attire, blue eyes sparkling, contagious smile on his face. He was carrying something in his hand. Laila smiled back. "Hello, Merlin. What brings you here on this evening?"

"Arthur told me he wanted to have a private dinner with Gwen so I figured you'd want some company," Merlin offered sweetly. _Is Gwen positive she's not a Seer? She so saw this coming and was hinting at it…_

"Of course! Come in," Laila chuckled, letting Merlin into the house. He stepped inside, already familiar with his whereabouts. She felt the need to ask if he ate even though she herself hadn't cooked anything nor eaten.

"Not exactly. Gaius made another one of his famous soups tonight," Merlin replied, "I told him I'd skip for tonight, come see how you were doing."

"Another way of indirectly saying he should stick to potion making?" Laila teased.

"Exactly." The two laughed and Laila forgot about her anxiety about this whole thing. "Which is why I managed to sneak a few things from the kitchen."

"With or without the cook's knowledge?"

"You tell me," he smiled slyly. That was enough to know. They set up the table for themselves and ate their small dinner. Laila was often deprived of decent meals for long periods of time on account of her behavior in the past. But Camelot kept her well-fed and not once did she complain of her food. She was eating and that was all that mattered to her.

"So you haven't brought your book!" Laila observed, joining Merlin at the table. "No lesson for tonight?"

"I hope you don't mind. I thought we should take a break for tonight."

"Not at all! Although I do have to confess, I haven't practiced much. Gwen's been around often," Laila sighed.

Merlin chuckled. "It's okay. I'm not going to throw a fit over it."

"Good to know…" She was suddenly aware of the fact that she was wearing a loose dress. If she had known he was coming, she wouldn't have changed. They made more small talk as they ate and finally they were done. Laila cleared their plates with his help and she thanked him for coming over.

"I hope Gaius was alright eating alone," she joked.

"He could use the quiet. I'm always bugging him, he needs a night off. You know, Gwen's not going to be back until later and there's not much to do here… I was thinking, maybe I could show you around," Merlin suggested.

Laila looked at him, amused. "I've been here for a few weeks, Merlin, I know my way around."

"True… but you haven't been to the forest."

She raised an eyebrow. "What's in the forest?"

"You'll see." Merlin got up from the table and held out a hand. "Come on, I doubt you've seen it before." Curiously, Laila took his hand and let him guide her out of the house. It had just gone dark and she was unsure of all this. Where was he taking her? What did he want to show her? As they walked deeper into the forest, Laila crept a bit closer to Merlin. He was stronger than she was and way more experienced with his magic. The woods at night was frightening so thank the heavens for him.

"Are you sure we'll be back before Gwen comes home? We've gone pretty far," Laila said worriedly.

"I promise," he reassured, "We're almost there."

"Where are we going?" Laila asked again, almost impatiently.

"Just a little more now…" They stepped out of the cluster of trees in the woods. "Here we are." Laila gasped. They had just stepped onto the shores of a large lake, darkened by the night yet still something to see. Shades of forest green surrounded on the lake and behind it were large white mountains. Never before had Laila seen such a lovely lake. In all her years of living, this would be the very first time she had.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, "What is this place?"

"The Lake of Avalon," Merlin informed, "Have you heard of it?"

"I heard the name once at the br- from my brother," Laila lied, catching herself, "But not of its importance."

Merlin faced the lake. "It's the gateway to the fallen. Or the dead, as a more commonly used term."

"You could see the dead?"

"Only accessible through powerful magic, maybe even more powerful than you or I. It's the home of the Sidhe."

"The Sidhe? Like the changeling you told me about?"

"Exactly so. An immortal race of Avalon. Gaius called them 'masters of enchantments' but they aren't known for being the kindest of creatures. They've caused trouble for me," Merlin explained, smiling, "You remember. I told you."

Laila giggled, recalling the story. "I could never forget your stories. You've had quite the adventures here, haven't you?"

Merlin breathed out a sigh. "Sure have. Hasn't all been fun and games. In fact, it never has."

"I'd imagine so," Laila murmured, shivering slightly. The day had been warm but the night was cool. She looked out at the lake, wondering of what lay beneath the surface, in its dark depths. "Carrying a destiny on your shoulders like that…"

"Destiny has not been kind," he muttered, "What is so great about meeting my destiny when it's cost me the lives of people I care about?" He exhaled again, turning his eyes to meet hers.

"I wish I knew, Merlin," Laila breathed, "But I haven't lived as exciting a life as you." _Not exciting. Just one where I endure more than I should. _

"Believe me, it starts to lose its luster," Merlin said quietly. They stood in silence for a few moments, leaving Laila to realize she hadn't worn her cloak. It was now officially dark all around them and Laila could slightly make Merlin out thanks to the light from the moon.

"How do you do it?" she asked quietly.

"Do what?" Merlin sounded confused.

"Just… deal with everything. It's like your carry the weight of everyone's futures and they don't even know. They don't know this whole time, you've been saving them."

Merlin paused. "Sometimes, I want to tell people. Scream to others, especially Arthur, because he never seems to appreciate what I do for him."

"And yet you still do."

"He's the future king, my master… and my friend. I've had to give up things for him but it's not because of destiny. Because I care about him, Laila." He looked down at her and she felt her cheeks turn pink. Something about the way he looked at her always made her blush. "It's not just his life. It's others too."

Laila nodded. "Gaius, Gwen, the knights…"

"And you." Laila wanted to swoon inside, hearing this leave his mouth. It made her feel special, and maybe Gwen wasn't wrong with what she said. But the sensational feeling was followed with an image of Morgana. A reminder of what she was doing. And following that, a very ugly past… how could she mean anything to him? She was hardly anybody, always under the control of some higher authority. She had to lie her way to survive. And this was a person Merlin cared about?

"You don't have to worry about me," she said softly. "I'm not as significant as anyone else."

"Don't say that. You are," Merlin replied, "And I can't help but worry. Camelot is constantly attacked and lives are put at stake more times than I could remember."

"Even yours."

"Even mine. But I can handle it. Most others can't." _Morgana wants your life, Merlin. She wants you done so she can finish off the rest. Without you, Camelot will fall. And that's what she wants. And I'm part of it._

"It's unusual for you, isn't it?" she brought up, "Quiet, uninterrupted moments like this?"

Another smile was forming on Merlin's face. "Unusual… but needed." Laila looked at Merlin to see he was gazing at her and she felt something swirling inside her. "Is this why you brought me here? To have a moment like this?"

"Once again… you tell me." Slowly, ever so slowly, he inched closer to her. It felt like her heart was about to burst, he was _so_ close to her now. His hand tentatively brushed hers and she let it, but not without taking note of the pounding in her chest. When his lips pressed to hers, she allowed it to happen.

She didn't understand this. A new nauseous feeling would rise inside of her but it wasn't the bad kind, filled with dread. It was the good kind.. And this was dangerous, very dangerous. Love was not an emotion Laila was ready to have so how could she possibly know what it felt like? What right did she have to call any such emotion "love"? How could one fall in love in just a few weeks? Was that even possible? _No, this is stupid. He can't mean so much to me._ _And he won't. I won't allow it_. Laila's fears were strong and they conflicted with her so much.

Merlin kept kissing her and it felt different, it felt good. Just as her thoughts began to wander, so did Merlin's hands. One around her neck, the other going down to the small of her back. But her fears did not grow. They simply melted away. Laila wasn't being smothered or forced, she was safe here in his arms…

This wasn't new to Laila; she was a girl from a brothel after all. But her past experiences weren't ones she wanted to have. And given the task, she was to carry on with this. Morgana would've encouraged this to go. She told her it would be a plus if he fell for her. For some reason, she was very much into the idea of crushing Merlin, whether physically or emotionally. This made Laila's suspicions a lot more plausible- maybe Morgana wanted Laila to break his heart because she could not have him. She felt betrayed by him and wanted someone she used to care for to feel pain. She didn't bother to think of the possibility that Laila might reciprocate. And she really didn't know if she was. _Fuck it_, she thought, _She's letting me have what she wants and I'm taking advantage of it._

This was strange. For the first time, Laila _wanted_ to. No one was abusing her, forcing her into anything, she could stop anytime. But she didn't want to. She was allowing herself to be consumed with a feeling that never made itself known up until now; lust. And it was obvious in Merlin's actions that he wanted it too.

* * *

><p>Never before had he pictured it happening like this.<p>

Merlin remembered clearly the day he had seen Laila lying in the woods, when he felt her magic practically calling to him. With her body was half-exposed to him, so easily had he felt a surge of lust when he saw her lying there. Merlin felt ashamed after that, thinking of Laila this way. He taught her spells, was her guide to Camelot… and he lusted for her. How he lusted for her…

The dreams shocked him, how quickly they occurred shortly after Laila's arrival to the city. They were friends and he hid his embarrassment well when they were around each other. He hated it; she was his friend, why were all these mixed emotions growing in him?

Merlin lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The events of the evening replayed in his mind. She had pressed herself to him, her breasts pinning against his chest, her body language telling him that she wanted this too, that it wasn't just him. They could've done it. Right there, next to the lake, in the still of night. No one would see them.

But the warlock stopped himself when he felt the something moist and wet brush against his lips. Merlin could've tasted her but he didn't. He held her back by her wrists, telling her that as much as he wanted to, they couldn't. Not now. When Laila looked at him confused and a little hurt, Merlin explained in more detail. He felt something for her which is why he stopped. If his actions were driven by pure lust, he would've let it go and done it. But this wasn't the case. Merlin wanted something with Laila, more than just a relationship guided by animal instincts. He wanted more to develop between them and already it was. It was too soon to do anything risky, ruin what they already had. Merlin didn't just want his needs to be taken care of; he wanted to _feel_ her, love her. They needed time.

Laila was, to his relief, understanding and she agreed with them. He walked her back to Gwen's house and kissed her goodnight on the cheek, knowing full well her honey eyes were watching him disappear. Was he pathetic?

Merlin lay in his bed, he recalled how it felt to have her pressed against him. In his dreams, he gave in to his desires, pleasured her. They were so realistic, he woke up sweating and throbbing, scared he moaned her name in his sleep. He couldn't remember the last time he had dreams so vivid. They would come true, but only when he knew for sure it was what he wanted, no regrets.

The times Merlin had wanted something bad, they slipped from his fingers. Freya had died, Morgana had betrayed him… he wanted Laila to stay. He didn't want any surprises.

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><p><strong>AN: Want is the feeling, lust is the emotion, and love soon to take its place… I've been feeling poetic lately, can you tell? Please don't kill me, readers, I know I waited wayyyy too long to post this! I'm not very good with smuttiness so that's why I didn't go any further in the details of Merlin's dreams. But you never know, I may decide to include it and explicitly…**

**Please review! Most appreciated. And I won't extend the updates like that anymore. Cheers! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Our army is growing stronger day by day," commented Tom an or so after Morgana had made the long trip back to Cervena. They had gathered in their father's study to discuss how the army was progressing. Lord Kanark had died a few weeks before and the grief that had struck the brothers was still a bit apparent, though not very obvious. Lady Kanark was to return soon, but the brothers did not know when.

"I take it you have been training them well, my lords?" Morgana assumed, sitting back in her seat and sweeping her eyes from Rheon to Tom to Jon.

"From the crack of dawn to the latest hours of night," Tom replied promptly, sounding rather proud of himself. Though Morgana would respect Jon the most, Tom was tolerable. Less arrogant than his younger brother yet not like his older; a fair mix of both. But he was undoubtedly the most experienced. "I hate to admit it, Morgana, but you were right. Under my father, they were weak."

Morgana's lips twitched into her infamous smirk. "No need to thank me. When will they be ready?"

"We can't say for sure when," Jon answered, "But they are growing stronger at a steady pace."

"I expected nothing less," Morgana said, shrugging her shoulders. "But it will do."

"Don't be so cocky, witch," Rheon snapped, "Remember, _we're_ giving _you_ the army, not the other way around."

The woman's eyes narrowed but she remained calm, not letting his attitude affect in any way whatsoever.

"Enough, Rheon," Tom ordered. It seemed to Morgana that Tom took the most pleasure in being in charge. Not even Jon did, and he was the oldest.

"Well, I thank you for your generosity, my lords. But I have had a long journey and wish to retire." Morgana stood up from her chair.

"Very well," Tom said. "We'll have one of the girls escort you to your room. It is ready for you."

"We hope you are most comfortable, Lady Morgana," Jon added. Before Morgana could reply to him, Rheon shouted a name she didn't catch and a young, frail-looking girl stepped into the room, looking about nervously. "Y-yes, my lords?"

"Show the Lady Morgana to her room," Tom dismissed, waving a hand. Morgana's eyes landed on the girl and only needed a split second to take her in to guess that this must have been a prostitute-turned-serving girl. Or even the other way around. She had bruises similar to that of Laila's. Bowing shortly, Morgana left the study, following the girl to her room which was pretty much the same as the one she had been in about two months before. Adequate enough, yet just being in Cervena made Morgana feel dirty.

The girl opened the doors and she walked in, surveying her chambers. "Can I get you anything?" the girl asked timidly, standing near the doors. Morgana looked at her again, taking pity on her. She looked younger than Laila, but the flat, dirty blond hair, tired, gray eyes, and tone of voice seemed to suck the youth right out of her.

"No, I'm fine," Morgana said curtly. The girl turned to leave but she stopped her. "What's your name?"

"…Elaine."

"Elaine. Pretty name." Morgana looked to see what little she had brought with her was already on her bed. She reached for the tiny pouch of money she kept in her bag and placed a few coins in Elaine's palm. The girl's eyes lit up and she looked incredulously at her. "My lady, I can't take this," she whispered.

Morgana smiled. "Of course you can. The least I can to save you the trouble of visiting Rheon's chambers tonight."

The joy in Elaine lifted her mood a little and when the girl left happily, Morgana felt all too pleased with herself. Her occasional acts of kindness were rare but she would quite honestly do anything to keep powerless civilians from the brothers. She wondered if Laila knew Elaine and made a mental note to ask her once she was back home.

Although Morgana was a guest at Cervena, she preferred not to get too attached to her hosts. Their treatment of their people made Uther seem like an angel from heaven. When she first arrived, no one gave her so much as a nod. But when she returned, eyes scanned her up and down, mouths whispering to each other, attention fully diverted to her. They must have known why she was here, the good she was to bring them. To this, Morgana would smile to herself. She may have been considered evil to many, but these people did not see her as a bad person. Her green eyes twinkled appreciatively, the praising eyes of the Cervena people an image she could not remove from her head. It felt good to be looked at in that way; not disgusted but interested. Morgana liked to think she was their glimmer of hope.

Evening approached and Morgana had spent most of her day exploring the city or planning to herself in her room. Rheon had been awfully quiet tonight. She had not seen a single whore being chased after by him or snuck into the castle._ Strange_, she thought to herself, _men like him don't stay quiet for long._

"You think you're pretty clever, don't you?"

Morgana jumped when she heard a familiar voice behind her and turned to see Rheon standing in the chamber doorway, smirking with his arms crossed. Her eyes narrowed again and she did not hide her displeasure of seeing him. "I would say I'm clever, yes. But for what exactly?"

"Let's talk about the tramp that showed you your room today," Rheon started.

"What about Elaine?" Morgana asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, her." Rheon crossed into the room, eyes still fixed on Morgana. "Her father was arrested a few months ago and without him, her family has no money."

"And…?"

"Put two and two together, witch. I've generously been her source of income for the past few months out of the goodness from my heart," Rheon answered dramatically.

"Am I to assume being her source of income means forcing yourself into her dress every evening to pay her minimally?" Morgana finished, crossing her arms.

"No action goes unrewarded," Rheon shrugged, "But no matter. How is it that I saw her leaving my castle with a few coins in her hand and not returning?"

"You make it seem like it's her job."

"It is her job."

"And you think she chose it? Why was her father arrested anyway?"

"Man was selling fake gold. In this case, the action went punished." Morgana was so repulsed by the man standing before her, she willed herself not to kill him on the spot with her powers. She didn't doubt her abilities at all, but it would not be the wisest thing to do.

"So I gave her some money. You can go one evening without violating another poor girl," Morgana said very matter-of-factly. She detected some anger on Rheon's face and felt triumphant in her mind. Getting under his skin was the best revenge for now.

"Violating? My dearest witch, it would only be violating if it was not allowed," Rheon said, putting his hands on his hips. "Our city still permits this practice."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Morgana turned her back to him, not wanting to hear anymore. "If you will excuse me, I want to get ready for bed." She made to be going to her bed but she suddenly felt that Rheon was a lot closer to her than originally before.

"They do help me sleep at night," he drawled, his voice dropping to a whisper in her ear. She felt a shiver run down her spine but she stayed absolutely still. _Control yourself. He will back away soon. He can't do anything, he knows what you are capable of._

"It's been rather empty, to be honest," he sighed, "Most of the girls at the brothel have not been very… what's the word… oh yeah… satisfying. Not since I was forced to sell my favorite one to a bunch of bandits. But even she was a little soft. I like my women with a bit more… roughness to them, if you know what I mean." Morgana wanted to turn around and shove him back but herself freeze up the minute she felt his hands touch her body without her permission. One around her waist, the other running up to her chest.

"And after being forced to live in secret for so long, I doubt you've gotten any of your desires fulfilled," Rheon sighed, "In fact, have you ever in your lifetime?"

"Get off me," Morgana said in a cold, deadly whisper. "Or I will not be held responsible for my actions." The magic inside her burned and if he did not step back, she would have no control over it.

"You're such a pretty woman. And you've the perfect body. The thoughts that must have run through so many men's minds when you passed by. The things they would do to you. Even if you are a witch." Morgana started shaking a little, hating how she was letting this go on. But when someone spoke the truth right to her, it was hard to cut it off. Why was she letting him continue speaking like this? Was she waiting for him to get at something?

"I am giving you one more chance to get your hands off of me before I really let you have it," Morgana threatened. "One… more… chance." When he didn't budge, she whipped around and pushed him back. Rheon quickly backed up and before she knew it, grabbed her with one hand, fingers around her throat.

"Oh, but you were too good for those men," he mocked, nose-to-nose with her. "You were the king's ward, after all. Who could ever please your high maintenance little hole?" Morgana wrapped her fingers around his arm, and he loosened his grip.

"Your brothers would not want to know of your mistreatment of your guests. But then again, I could just kill you, couldn't I?" Morgana growled, lifting a leg to send a good kick to his groins but Rheon was quick again. He grabbed that too and shoved her closer to him.

"If you want to kill me," he smirked, "Why haven't you done it already?"

"I don't want your filthy blood all over my hands," she spat, shooting him the dirtiest look she could.

"Answer me this, _my lady_," he said, teasingly emphasizing, "Has anyone made you weak at the knees, wet between the legs? Lose control over yourself?"

"No one," she said, anger radiating from her. How dare he bring up her past, ask her personal question that were of no concern to him?

"Bullshit," Rheon said simply.

"No. One. And if you think it's going to become you, you have another thought coming. Get your fucking hands off my-" A gasp escaped her lips when the hand on her leg was suddenly under her dress, touching a sensitive area. Her muscles felt paralyzed when Rheon's fingers traced that spot slowly and Morgana pursed her lips, not letting a single sound escape them. She hated him, despised him- but he was touching her in a place she had never been touched before and she wasn't going to lie, it sent a tingle through her loins.

"You're a strong witch," he mocked again, "Well, use your magic. Shove me off." When she didn't, a chuckle left his lips. "I knew it. You're a desperate woman. So tight and so unused, even someone you find despicable can pleasure you. Fight me. Come on. Don't tell me a powerful witch can't even try when a mere whore like that Laila girl can."

"What do you want from me?" Morgana said through clenched teeth, tensing up at how slowly was stroking her and hated herself for wanting him to go further. She hated him too- for being right.

"Tell me what you want from me," he replied, "You're bored and lonely, so am I. We can fix that."

"If I wanted someone to do anything to me, it sure as hell wouldn't be you."

"Then who? Because I doubt anyone from Camelot would be willing to, if they valued their lives. Are you disgusted by me, Morgana?" He pressed an extra sensitive spot in that area with a single finger and an involuntary hiss left her. "Yes, very much so."

"Not that it matters anyway. I was just wondering." Taking her by surprise, Rheon pushed her back onto her bed and she gasped, ready to protest. But it wasn't long before he was on her, pressing his mouth firmly against hers, tongue dipping into her mouth. She tried to fight him off, her magic screaming at her to be used._ Kill him. Fucking kill him already. What is wrong with you?_

Rheon removed himself from Morgana's lips, looking triumphantly down at her. "Still not fighting me off?"

"I won't give you the satisfaction," she snapped, "It's clearly what you want."

"Oh no, witch. You're not that strong." He was on her again, nipping at her neck, and Morgana was sure there would be marks left. Heavy breaths involuntarily left her mouth and she stared up at the ceiling, feeling something strange build up inside of her. No, she hated Rheon. But she wanted him to keep going, anticipating his next move.

"You're already wet enough," Rheon smirked, looking up at her, his sliding underneath her dress again. "But I doubt this is new to you. I'll tell you what is though. Pushing you to the brink of immense pleasure." This time, he didn't even tease her. He thrust a finger into her, his knee pushing one of her legs aside to give him room. Morgana cried out, her insides stimulated by his simple touch. She widened her eyes and tipped her head back, trying to control her breathing. Rheon didn't slow his movements, only quickened them. Her muscles were no longer paralyzed and she was squirming, her lips practically ripping from staying closed.

The truth was, Rheon was right. Morgana had never done this before but it didn't mean she felt frustrated by it. She craved it, wanted something to be done to her, someone to expose her and make her feel vulnerable. Hell, she dreamed of it and every morning would wake up flushed and ashamed with herself. How could an elegant woman like Morgana have such scandalous thoughts? It was awful how it taunted her. She wanted this but she also wanted to cry because she was letting a repulsive person like Rheon satisfy her desires for her.

Rheon slowed down, gently teasing her. His finger went in at out at practically snail's pace while his thumb brushed the outer areas. "I can see it in your eyes," he hissed. "You're not such a collected person, Morgana. How long have you wanted this?"

"Not… from… you…" she croaked, squeezing her eyes shut. Morgana would let this continue only if she could imagine someone else in Rheon's place.

"I knew it. You naughty liar. Tell me, who is this lucky stranger? Who are you picturing in my place right now?" Morgana didn't budge, refusing to open her eyes. She felt sick and if he asked her anymore questions, she would lose the contents in her stomach.

"Well, keep up the imagination, dearest witch. I'll make it easier for you." The weight of Rheon's body lifted from Morgana but the hem of her dress was completely folded back and his face disappeared between her legs.

"You're only making me want to thr- fuck!" she cursed when he planted a firm lick on onto her line. Her vocabulary turned colorful when he thrust his tongue to, swirling it around in uneven patterns, in and out. He kissed the sensitive spots, nipped at them, sending vibrations up her body. She bucked her hips and Rheon took this as her begging, grabbing her legs and pushing into her.

Morgana felt dazed, moaning up at the ceiling. This was far different from what she had dreamed- better even because she could actually feel it.

"You are so damp," Rheon muttered into her spot, "If not for me, then who? Who are you think of, you filthy witch?"

"No one… no one…" _Lies. Big, nasty lies._ He knew it, she knew it, the good Lord above knew it. Her magic was churning up inside of her, begging to burst out of her and throw Rheon back so she wouldn't make him feel any more pleased with himself than he already was. Morgana squirmed, a strong sensation building up inside of her. Her imagination began acting up and it wasn't Rheon who was tasting her. It was the man in her dreams, the man she hated and loved at the same time. The more she pictured it being him, the more she could feel her orgasm building up.

"Scream it," Rheon muffled into her, "Scream his name when you come. I want to know. I want to know who drives you insane."

Morgana shook her head furiously and he grabbed her legs and she knew she was finished. _He'll know… he'll know my secret… it'll be the end…_ she saw colors as her climax hit.

"M…m… NO!" Morgana's eyes flashed a brilliant gold as hot liquid spilled out from her. She heard a thump and propped herself up on her elbows to see her climax hit so hard, her magic sprouted out of her and knocked Rheon back. But he didn't look angry. He looked smug, wiping the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"So close," he sighed, "But you're a lot more resistant than you seem." Morgana's face flushed with heat as she felt the sticky and wet feeling between her legs, the urge to take her own life for letting him do this to her very potent. She threw her dress over her legs and struggled to stand up, afraid her knees would buck and she'd crumble to the ground.

"Whoever he was, I bet he was good," Rheon smirked, "You were too. You taste lovely, witch."

"I fucking hate you," she cursed, looking down at the ground, refusing to meet him pretentious gaze. "I swear, I would kill you right now."

"You wouldn't. Because who else would give you the same pleasure I just did?"

"You disgust me."

"Well, we're on the same page. Because many people are disgusted with you. You're a dirty traitor and no one in their right mind would do _anything_ to you." Rheon's words hit Morgana with such a harsh sting, she threw a slap at his face. But the smirk stayed on his mouth and this only made her want to kill him more.

"You're wrong," she said hoarsely, even though a small part of her believed what he was saying.

"I'm not wrong. You know I'm right. Not even the man you replaced me with in your head could ever want you again." Rheon was nose-to-nose with Morgana. "My request has not changed. I still want Laila. But if we have more nights like these… you're more than welcome to take her place."

"I hate you so much."

"Is that what you tell everyone you find easier to hate?" Morgana bit her lip and looked the other way.

"I'll leave you in peace. But you know I'm right, Morgana. Think about it. Laila's a brothel girl and I bet that man would _still_ find you much more contemptible than her." With another cruel smile, Rheon left Morgana to stand there, motionless at his words. She hated him. _Loathed_ him, more than anyone in the world, even her enemies. He was a monster, a misogynistic, heartless monster, deserving of nothing but contempt from everyone. And she let him pleasure her. And she loved it.

Morgana turned to look at the stains on her bed. Her stains. Caused by Rheon. But in her mind, someone else. She felt nauseous and exhausted and if she moved any further, her stomach would turn over. But the woman forced herself to lie down on her side, far away from the stains and faced the windows.

She was positive Rheon would come back. But this time, she wouldn't give in. Morgana was a powerful witch abilities he'd wet his pants thinking about. He dare think a prostitute with barely any magical experience was less contemptible than her? That was only because no one knew the truth. Arthur, Gwen, Gaius, the knights… they didn't know the truth about Laila. And neither did Merlin and he could very well be showing interest in her at this moment. When this possibility came to her, her stomach went on churning and the sick feeling did not disappear.

Morgana gripped the sheets of her bed, her eyes stinging with tears. It wasn't fair. Laila was getting a life that she wished she could have and she was stuck here, letting a Kanark brother do things to her she only dreamt of. And if she gave in her to desires once more, she'd become his.

No, Morgana was strong. It would never happen again. Ever.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh my Merlin, that wasn't very good… badly written smut can spoil a story, but it's just a start, go easy on me there! I'm so behind on the updating but the college year is closing so exams and assignments have been taking up my time! Next two chapters or so, we'll switch back to what's happening with Laila and Merlin. But for now, think Morgana may be trying to deny something? **

**Please review! I love hearing from you readers, let me know what you want to see next or what predictions you're making! Cheers!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Readers! A quick note about the last chapter. Some of you said that Morgana seemed OOC and I agree, as that was sort of my intention. I was going back and forth on whether I should write it out the way I had or not and in the end, decided to go along with it. I published the chapter fully aware that she would come off OOC and it may have caused some of you to raise your questionable brows like Gaius would. You guys are an amazing audience for trusting in me in the past so please, continue to trust me when I say that this; if the last chapter bothered/upset/disturbed/angered you, worry not. I write this for **_**you**_** and I will make sure by the end of this story, you will be fully satisfied.**

**Please let me know if you want any further explanation on my intentions for writing out Morgana that way and I'll be happy to explain. For now, enjoy this chapter!**

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><p>"Merlin, has anyone told you how much of an incompetent servant you are?" Arthur grumbled as his friend finally appeared one evening with his dinner. "Late, lazy, and if that soup is even the least bit cold, I'll have your head for it."<p>

"No problem," Merlin said cheerfully, setting the plate down in front of his master. Arthur eyed him curiously, picking up his spoon and tasting his food. _Damn it, it's still warm_, he thought. He had been looking forward to picking on Merlin once again. It had become a pastime of his, teasing his manservant like that. What could he say? Merlin was the younger brother he never had.

"Cold, sire?" Merlin asked in an irritatingly higher pitch, arms behind his back.

Arthur rolled his eyes up to meet his and mocked his innocent smile. "You're lucky it's still hot otherwise it would've been served on your head." He turned back to his meal, taking another spoonful as Merlin set about to cleaning up the strewn clothes all over his floor, the smile never leaving his face. Not that it was a surprise to Arthur, but he had been slacking in performing his duties. The king didn't want to say it out loud, but Merlin was a decent servant and sure, the shortcomings were noticeable but not as much as now. Now, he was often late, seemed more forgetful, and had a tendency to walk around with a dreamy look on his face. If Arthur didn't know better, he'd say there was a special someone in Merlin's life and she just so happened to be living with the special someone in _his_ life.

"So care to offer up another terrible explanation as to why you were late with my dinner?" the king began, not planning on letting Merlin off the hook. Merlin wasn't even listening, just carelessly tossing clothes into the basket. _Wait a minute, didn't he do the laundry this morning?_

"Merlin?" Arthur tried again. No answer. "_Merlin_!"

"Y-yeah, what?" the servant said dazedly, whipping around, a blue shirt in his hand. Arthur pointed at it with his spoon. "You laundered that this morning."

Merlin glanced at it, a look of surprise crossing his face. "Did I? Wow… well, an extra wash is always needed. God only knows how dirty you get this during training." He spoke in a quick, hasty voice as to hide his embarrassment. Arthur fought a smile. He enjoyed watching Merlin squirm, even more so when his suspicions were becoming clear.

"You still haven't answered my question," he brought it back up, slipping his spoon into the bowl.

"What question?"

"So you _are_ deaf as well dumb. My first impression wasn't wrong after all. Why were you late this time?"

"Oh… um… the food wasn't ready!" Merlin offered, turning his back to Arthur again.

"Was it now?" Arthur sat back, folding his hands on top of his stomach. "So if I were to go speak to the cook, she'd confirm?"

Merlin was silent. He put the shirt back into the basket and sighed. "What do you want me to say?"

"Come on, Merlin," Arthur groaned, tipping his head back, "Excuse after excuse, and none of them are even real. Laundering my clothes, 'the water was cold, couldn't scrub them properly'. Sweeping the floor, 'couldn't find the broom, went to look for one'. Cleaning my room… what was the reason again?"

"I don't think I had one for that," the servant muttered, sheepishly not meeting Arthur's eyes.

"Not even an excuse!" the king smirked at his friend. Merlin was stubborn, he wouldn't confess right away. It would take some more teasing on Arthur's part. "Let's not forget your sudden elevation in your mood. Explain that, yeah?"

"Can't I be happy without it being weird?" Merlin said defensively.

"Not without good reason. No one is happy without one." Arthur pushed his meal aside and stood up. "I take it that it's something to do with the new maidservant?"

Merlin jerked his head up. "You mean Laila?"

"No, I mean Gwen," Arthur said sarcastically, "Of course I mean Laila, _Mer_lin, who else would I be talking about? It was so obvious since day one."

The servant's face flushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you know very well!"

"We're just friends, Arthur," Merlin dismissed, walking away. "Me and Laila? Yeah, right." Then why couldn't he look his own master in the eye and tell him that? He was avoiding it, that was for sure. Arthur crossed his arms. He knew all too well the feeling of coming clean about his feelings for someone. It took him forever to admit his love for Gwen. But if there was another thing he knew, it was that one should never deny their true feelings. And Merlin was trying too hard.

"Guinevere says she notices it too," he mentioned nonchalantly, going back to his soup. He heard Merlin pause in his steps and smiled to himself.

"If I'm deaf, then you're both blind," Merlin snapped, giving up on his master's clothes. They were laundered this morning, he wasn't going to turn his hands raw once again.

"True, but we're smarter," Arthur chuckled, "But it's been a while, Merlin, it's time to tell your secret to the wind."

Merlin scoffed. "Since when did you get so poetic? Well, the wind isn't very discreet. He likes to whisper to the trees. And by the trees, I mean everyone in this city."

Arthur laughed at Merlin's wit. "So you do admit it! I'll keep it on the hush if you say it out loud."

Merlin shook his head. "Is there anything else you require, sire?"

"Say it. That's all I ask."

"I'll take that as a no." Merlin picked up the basket and went for the door. "I'll just be off to... enjoy you're meal, sire."

Arthur straightened up in his chair and called out. "At least tell me what you've done! Have you kissed her?"

"Goodbye, sire."

"Oh, don't walk away! Have you kissed her? Gotten any?" The chamber doors shut behind Merlin. Arthur sat back in his chair, chuckling to himself. His appetite opened up immediately as he thought about the ways he could taunt his manservant anymore. He wasn't about to let Merlin go without any information!

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><p>Laila had an exhausting day. Her and Gwen seemed to worked twice as hard today compared to most days. But she was happy for it. Any task was manageable in her eyes, even the most difficult or tiring of ones. Not just that, but she was spotting more and more of Merlin these days. And that was just while she was working. She had one task left, and that was to take dinner to Sir Agravaine. Laila offered to do it. She wanted to ask Agravaine about Morgana.<p>

"I hope it's warm enough," she said politely, setting the bowl down in front of the man, forcing a small smile. They may have been on the same side but Laila was not too fond of Agravaine. She'd watch him ride off frequently, probably to bring news to Morgana but he never took her. It was strange to admit it, but Laila was starting to miss Morgana. And she was waiting on the witch to hold up her end of the bargain (even though Merlin was taking care of it, she still wanted to see if Morgana would keep her promise).

"I'm sure it is," he muttered, nodding his head in thanks. He tested it out and nodded once more. Laila looked around awkwardly, in case he had anything else to say. But he didn't. "Are you ever going to take me to Morgana again?"

Agravaine was startled by her outburst. He jerked his head up, spoon still in hand. "Morgana is not here. She is away on business."

"What business? Why hasn't she told me anything? Why won't _you_ tell me anything?" Laila crossed her arms.

"If I knew anything, I would tell you," Agravaine snapped. "You think she confides everything in me?"

"You don't even know where she has gone to?"

"All I know is that she has reached an advancement in her plans and will not disclose anything of it until it is set in stone."

"Has she said anything about me?"

"Just that I should keep an eye on you."

Laila raised an eyebrow. "Keep an eye on me? And just what would I do?"

"It's not what _you_ would do, it's what another would," Agravaine insisted, "She would have my head if I let anything happen to you."

The girl rolled her eyes. "I'm not a little girl, I can take care of myself. All I want is to be able to see her. I want her to hear about me directly from me."

"It's risky, Laila. You must wait until the time is right."

"When will it be right?"

"I will let you know!" Agravaine snipped, trying to put a cap on their conversation, "Now, please let me finish my dinner in peace."

Laila's eyes narrowed. "Whatever you say, my lord." She mockingly bowed to him and left his room, feeling the urge to slam his chamber doors. But there was no use in being childish. He clearly wasn't going to tell her anything. She would have to find these things out on her own. In two months' time, Laila had gotten a better grip on her magic and knew spells too. The only problem was explaining her progress to Morgana. She would definitely be suspicious and the last thing Laila was going to do was tell her about Merlin. It was bad enough how much she was lying to him already, no use adding insult to injury.

Gwen was probably back at her house, making dinner. Laila wasn't feeling too hungry tonight so she made her way down the familiar corridor to the catacombs of the castle. She normally ate dinner before leaving to go meet up with Merlin again. Gwen had a vague idea about them but she kept it a secret, even from Arthur. She made it down the stairs of the more abandoned area of Camelot's castle. It was rare anyone spent time there, unless the bells rang and it was an emergency or a search. The girl looked around cautiously, lifting up her hand and muttering the light spell to guide her down to where she usually met with Merlin. It looked like he wasn't here yet. She busied herself by setting up candles. Laila would wait- she was oddly patient compared to most. So she sat back and thought to herself. She hadn't had any visions lately and this worried her. Laila was used to knowing what to expect. Maybe it would give her at least a clue to where Morgana had been going. She humored herself with the idea that Morgana had gone to Cervena to take out the Kanark brothers once and for all. _Right_, she scoffed to herself, _because she cares about me _that _much. That city is a shit hole, she wouldn't go there if her life depended on it_. The girl heard footsteps behind her and whipped around. Laila was about to yelp in surprise when a hand clamped against her mouth.

"It's just me," Merlin chuckled quietly, releasing his hand from her lips.

A smile appeared on Laila's face. "Good one," she said sarcastically. "My heart nearly stopped."

"For other reasons, I hope," Merlin grinned. "You're here rather early."

"My appetite wasn't feeling up for it tonight," she explained. He hadn't brought anything with him tonight, not a spell book or anything. For a second, she wondered what adventures they would be going on tonight.

"Yeah? Neither was mine. Normally isn't when Arthur takes to teasing me every few minutes." Merlin shook his head.

"So I take it you're never hungry then?" Laila cracked a joke, watching his lips split into another lovely smile and laughter escape them. The sound of it made her funny inside.

Merlin walked closer to her. "Oh, your wit is unmatched, Laila. Simply unmatched." Laila was about to reply when he brought her face to his and hushed her by pressing his lips to hers. She kissed back, glad they were out of sight. No one really knew just how far their relationship had gone though it was safe to say they were making assumptions. It was no longer an unusual sight, seeing Merlin and Laila together, whether they were in the castle working, or out in the lower town. Gwen and Arthur noticed it well and Laila was sure Arthur was teasing Merlin about it as much as Gwen was with her. But it didn't mean they had to be out in the open for everyone to see.

Usually, their kisses were sweet and gentle. Laila could tell he was a bit new at this and decided against pushing herself like she did the night they were at the Lake of Avalon. He had scared him and she took it slow for his sake. Yet this time, it was Merlin who was pushing forward. Laila felt the cold wall of the alcove on her back and a calloused hand travel lower down from her face. She pushed him back, fighting a smile at his impatience. "A bit eager tonight, aren't we?"

"More than most nights, I'll admit." His face was an inch away from hers, itching to kiss her again. She wanted to as well but at the same time, she had to take notice of the limits. Merlin wanted to wait and wait she would. He was softer than the guys she had come across in her life.

"What's different about tonight?" she whispered, tracing a finger down his chest.

"I can't stop thinking about you," Merlin replied, his voice low, "About that night. At the lake. When we first kissed."

"We've kissed before, Merlin," she pointed out, repeating her question. "How is tonight different?"

"I just… I don't know… it's getting harder to fight…" he said quietly, looking down from her eyes. Laila gave him a new look, tilting her head to the side. Her fingers tickled his stomach a little and as she went to grab him by his shirt and press him more to her. "Why fight it?" she asked, her voice low enough that she was sure to drive him up the walls. She leaned in and lightly kissed the hollow of his neck. "What are you scared of?"

Merlin didn't reply. He shook his head at her before pulling her back in for another kiss. She pressed her palms to his chest. "Tell me. What's scaring you?"

"Laila, it's not important."

"It _is_ important. Because you're important to me. Tell me. Please." She refused to let him kiss her if he didn't tell her anything. Merlin tipped his head back and groaned. "I'm not scared. And the reason is stupid."

"Merlin, we're not going to get anywhere if you don't specify."

He let out a sigh before looking back at her, his blue eyes gazing into her honey ones. Laila couldn't tear away from him when he did this- it was her weakness, when he looked at her straight in the eye that way. "How do you feel about me, Laila?"

The girl was taken by surprise. This wasn't a question she had been expecting on. "I… what do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. How do you feel about me?" he urged.

"I… I like you, Merlin."

"Do you just like me? Is there anything more?" _Oh God, don't make me do it. I'm terrible at this, I really am._

"I don't know what you want me to say," Laila replied slowly, looking down at her hands. "Because truthfully, I myself don't know what to say…" Merlin's shoulders sank. She mentally smacked herself. She said the wrong thing. Oh God, she said the wrong thing and it was going to affect their relationship.

"Oh," he muttered, not meeting her eyes once more. "I see."

"Wait, I worded it wrong," she tried, "Let me explain…"

"No, I get it. You don't know what to say. You've explained enough." There was an edge to Merlin's voice and Laila knew right off the bat she had screwed it up terribly between them. The truth was, she knew what to say, but she didn't know how to. Emotions were indescribable with words and she was no expert at it. Besides, what if the way she felt for Merlin wasn't the same as he felt for her? What if this whole time, all he wanted from her was her body? _But he's not like that. You know it well. You're the one who's scared._

"Merlin, that's not what I meant, just let me…"

He cut her off again. "Gaius is probably wondering where I am. Gwen is too, I'll bet. We should go." He turned away from her and started to walk away. She reached forward and grabbed his arm with both her hands. "Merlin, don't be like that."

"Don't be like what?" Merlin whipped around and glared at her. He raised his voice and it scared Laila, to hear him suddenly so angry. "You just made it pretty damn clear how you feel about me. And you don't. You don't feel anything."

"That's not what I said!" Laila insisted.

"If you can't describe it, then you don't know. Which is a nice way of saying you don't feel anything more." Merlin turned around to walk away once more. Laila stood there, motionless. Her first thought was to let him go, let him walk away in his anger. Maybe tomorrow, when he cooled off, they could talk about this. But her second thought was to stop him and talk about it now. Her eyes flashed gold and the skill she used so often made itself known as the first random object her magic picked up went flying at Merlin.

"Oww!" Merlin howled, turning around, rubbing the back of his head. Of course, Laila's magical instinct would send a rock to his head. It briefly reminded her of when she first woke up in Morgana's hovel and her magic sent a jug of water towards the witch. This time, it just so happened to be a rock.

"What the hell?" Merlin snapped.

"Sorry, but I had to stop you," Laila muttered, her face turning red.

"First you tell me you don't know how you feel about me then you try to kill me with a rock. Great," Merlin snipped. "Just great. I'm starting to regret helping you."

Laila's nostrils flared and she felt rage build up in her. He was pushing it too far now. "Pray tell, Merlin, why did you help me with my magic anyway? Was it you just being a good friend?"

Merlin opened his mouth to respond but found he didn't know what to say to that. "I…."

"And now you regret it. Why? Because I cannot tell you how I feel. As if it's easy!" Laila exclaimed, "It's not easy. It's not easy at all to say how I feel. I have never been given the opportunity to do so because it never used to matter to anyone. You're the first person to ever ask me and I can't…I can't form the right words…" Laila's voice shook and at that moment, she really had no idea how she was feeling. She wanted to cry because she was so frustrated with herself for allowing this to happen. Why were they here? _Why were they here?_ There was a reason, there was a damn reason they were spending all this time together. A reason why they kissed, touched, met up in secret. She wasn't going to say it. She couldn't. Not unless he did it first.

Merlin looked shocked at her outburst. He'd never quite seen her like this before and his expression was taken aback. He stared at her and she stared back, both of them not sure what to say. The silence was driving Laila crazy and she broke it. "What are you scared of, Merlin? Answer me that and I will answer your question. At least, as best as I can."

The warlock didn't take his eyes off of her. His shoulders sank again but this time, not because he was crestfallen. Laila walked up to him and took his face in her hands, not letting him look away.

"Answer me," she urged gently.

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><p><strong>AN: Ohaaaay, cliffhanger! I bet you all just love those… anyway, there's not much left to say here except that I'm loving the feedback I'm getting on the story. Please don't be afraid to be honest (just don't be nasty) because there's always room for improvement. Speak to me, your deepest, darkest thoughts. We all know that like Merlin and Morgana, everyone has them…**

**Errr, right… Please read and review! Next chapter will be up soon. Cheers!**

**P.S. If any of you are fans of **_**Fire In The Shade**_** and it's continuation, I completely redid the sequel and posted it up so go check it out! It'll be much better, in my opinion. That will be updated soon too.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**A/N: I'm finished with all my exams and am finally on summer break. So you, dear readers, have my full attention. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Answer me," Laila urged gently.<p>

Merlin looked down at her, trying to decide what was the best response to such a complex question. He didn't often voice his thoughts, and when he did, it usually came out the wrong way. With Arthur, he wouldn't even be taken seriously. But here she was and here he was and she was asking him a question he was trying to avoid. What could he say? _I'm sorry, Laila, but I have this irrational fear that you're not who you seem to be and our relationship will go down the well._ _Don't take it personally, it's just that my love life has been fucked up since I can remember. Which is exactly why I want to know how you feel about me before I confess how I feel for you. If you don't feel the same, then at least you'll let me know so that I can deal with the heartbreak gradually instead of in one sitting. Does that answer your question?_

"Merlin, I may have magic, but I don't read minds," Laila interrupted his private thoughts, "And the look on your face is telling me you have something to say. Mind sharing?"

"A little," he muttered. "I did, after all, just get told by the girl I thought I could have something with that she isn't sure how she feels about me."

Laila paused, contemplating what she would say next. "You know that's now what I meant."

"Then what _do_ you mean? Because I really don't think we can continue this if all you see me as is your friend." Merlin crossed his arms and waited for her to respond. This would be interesting, getting to see what was in each other's heads. He didn't want to be harsh but it would get them to be fully honest with each other. And wasn't being honest a crucial element in creating a healthy relationship? As far as he was concerned, it was pretty damn important.

"Merlin, it's not easy to say," Laila sighed, looking down at the ground, "Given my past, I feel like I have no right to tell you that- I mean, I don't even know what it is, it's just… you know?"

Merlin looked at her confusedly. "Laila, not that I have a hard time understanding you but… _what_?"

"Yeah, I don't know what I said either," she mumbled, shaking her head at herself, "I'm not one to talk about what's going on inside my head openly." Laila sat down on one side of the catacomb they were in and leaned against the wall, focusing her eyes on the candles she had lit. Merlin watched her but his mind was trying to string together the right words to answer her. Was she doing the same?

"Have you ever loved someone, Merlin?" Laila's voice echoed in the walls and startled the warlock. Merlin stared at the girl, her figure looking much smaller than usual as she was sitting down. He was towering over her yet the look in her eyes was more intimidating to him. The question was blunt, straightforward, nothing subtle. It was like a wilding that had him cornered. He had to kill it because there was no chance of escaping. _To lie or to be honest?_

Merlin slid down and sat across from her, avoiding her gaze. He looked at the candles like she bad been earlier. "Maybe. But what does it matter?"

"It matters to me," Laila said softly, "There's so much you tell me of your adventures, but what of the other things? Your own emotions, your own life. Everything you do in some way ties to Arthur. What about _you_, Merlin? I want to know."

In only took a second for Merlin to realize how ironic this was all sounding. He finally turned his curious blue eyes onto her. "Funny you talk about wanting to know more of me when it is you who I haven't heard much about, Laila. I've told you many stories and I barely hear any of yours."

Laila winced and she closed off again. "I don't have any stories."

"I doubt it. What was your life like before the bandits took over your village? And your family?" She wasn't looking at him. "Laila… did you ever love someone?"

"I asked you first."

"I always go first. It's your turn."

"No."

The warlock was taken aback. "_No_? It's only fair you go first."

"I'm answering your question. I've never loved anyone. Ever. Not in the way Arthur loves Gwen, if that's what you were aiming for."

"I find that hard to believe," Merlin shook his head, crossing his legs.

"It's the damn truth," Laila replied icily. She wasn't budging, that much was obvious. Gods…was there ever going to be a time where Merlin could actually understand girls? A time where they would stop being so damn difficult and hard to figure out? Not at the very present, no. And the past hadn't been forgiving either. Merlin may have been a powerful warlock but girls were his biggest mystery.

"Has anyone ever loved you?" he asked softly, knowing ahead of time he would be touching on a few sensitive spots. Laila stiffened and the icy look returned in her eyes. Either she was going to say yes and speak of a long tale of unrequited love or say no in a jealous manner, wishing someone could love her. At which point Merlin would be the hero, jump in and tell her that he loved her, causing her to confess the same and everything would be right and fine in the world._ Reality isn't kind. Don't be stupid, Merlin._

"How precisely do you define 'love'?" Laila asked silently. Those nerves Merlin touched on were reacting, very slowly. Slowly, but surely.

"I don't know, uh…" Merlin looked up at the stone ceiling, thinking to himself. "Think about what Arthur and Gwen have. That's love, isn't it? They're so in love, they can't put it into words." He shifted around in his seat, trying to think of a better description. She was looking back at him now and she didn't even realize how piercing her look could be. "Um… my dad and mum! I told you about them, my dad being a Dragonlord and all. That was love, definitely. Granted I can't speak for them on how they felt but-"

"Then tell me how you felt when you first loved someone. It'll make things less complicated for you and for me." Her words cut straight into Merlin's choppy sentences. Once again, there was no subtlety. She thought out the perfect way to get him to talk about himself while at the same time, providing a gateway for her to talk about her own self. Best he not underestimate her. The simple girl from the ruined village turned out to be one of the sharpest people he'd ever met.

"Clever, circling back to the first point without even trying." Merlin didn't want to talk about this and he was sure after he was done, she would regret it, not wanting to hear it anymore.

"I've been told," Laila shrugged. "What was her name?"

Merlin bit his lip. "It was Freya. She was my first love."

"What happened to her?"

Talking about Freya to this day still made Merlin's throat tighten up and his ducts to overflow. He didn't want to cry in front of her; he didn't like to cry in front of anyone, period. Yet he told her the story. Freya, the Druid girl captured by bounty hunters to be given to Uther for a generous reward. Merlin freed her and hid her in the very same caves of the castle they were sitting in right now. She was beautiful, vulnerable, and he connected with her so much. But she was cursed and died in the hands of his master. Arthur didn't know a thing about their intense relationship and although he saved Camelot, he killed Merlin's first love. She was now in the lake of Avalon. Her death had been heartbreaking and it haunted the warlock to no end.

When he was done, Merlin was positive his voice was shaking the whole time he spoke. Laila was gazing at him with the same intensity she had before. She was studying him, waiting for more. But he was done telling her that part of his life. A part he was forced to revisit.

"You took me where she was," Laila said in a low voice, "The lake of Avalon."

Merlin nodded. "You sort of… you remind me of her."

"I don't know if I should feel flattered by that or feel like I'm just replacing some ghost who visits your bedside every night," she muttered, looking down at her hands.

"No, it's in a good way. A very good way."

Laila stood up without glancing at Merlin. He stayed sitting, watching her every move. She walked around in the small area as if wrapped up in her own private thoughts. Finally, the girl crossed her arms and let out a slow exhale. "Were there no more after her?"

_Yeah, but that one turned evil on me and tried to be rid of me numerous times_, he thought bitterly. What would she think if Merlin told her that at one point, the woman who was now his enemy was once the woman he had love for? No, he shouldn't say anything. Not even bring up the possibility that there had been someone else after Freya. This was what he was trying to avoid- losing the girl he loved.

"Merlin?"

"No," he responded immediately. "No one else. Just Freya." _Just Freya. Just. Freya._ Merlin stood up and walked over to her. Laila's back was to him but she didn't move although he was close to her now and he could tell she noticed. "I'm being honest with you. All I ask is that you are honest with me." A shiver went down Laila's spine as he spoke those words. Did he make her nervous? Was he saying something wrong?

"I am," she said shakily, "I don't know what else to say."

"I've defined 'love', how I felt for Freya. You needed to know that before you told me if anyone loved you."

Laila whipped around, a bit startled that Merlin was this close to her. "Then I can absolutely say without a shadow of a doubt that no man has _ever _loved me."

"Laila…" Merlin didn't finish his sentence. There was more coming and he wasn't going to put a cap on it.

"There are bad people in this world, Merlin," she started. "Very bad people, worse than those you've told me about. People who shamelessly abuse you, whether it be physically or mentally." Laila's eyes narrowed as she thought of it. The look on her face looked cold, deadly even. "That is all I've known. A man who would tell me I am nothing and will always be nothing. One who would treat me worse than dirt. Takes advantage of me. Would leave me to die if he could."

Merlin stared at her, shock creeping up on him. Never in all the months he had gotten to know Laila had she mentioned something so personal like this before. His hands shot out and reached for her arms where her bruises were finally starting to fade. She pulled them back but he grabbed her again, this time a lot more firm. "Bandits didn't do this to you." It was more of a statement than a question.

Laila bit her lip the way he had but she didn't reply. She jerked her arms away from him again.

"Who did this to you?" Merlin demanded, trying to take her arms again. "Who was this man?"

When she didn't respond, Merlin pushed her against the wall. She let out a small shriek yet it wasn't in a hostile way. He just wanted to be the one who was cornering her. "Answer me. I've told you everything and I've yet to hear anything from you. Did bandits do this to you or are you covering something up?"

"An awful person, can we just leave it at that?" Laila snapped, struggling to move away but he was stronger than her. "Someone just really awful, worse than any of the terrible people you've ever met."

"I can't argue that until I know who it is."

"Worse than any enemy of yours. Worse than Morgana."

Merlin winced when she spoke her name. "Impossible."

"You say that now but you would agree with me."

"I've seen her become evil."

"This man was _born_ evil. Morgana was once good, wasn't she?' Merlin's grip on her loosened and his face softened. She looked up at him, reading his expression as best as she could. He had a way of saying so much with just a simple look.

"You loved her too, didn't you?" Laila asked quietly. "I can see it on your face. I could see it when you told me about what she did to take Camelot."

Merlin let go of her arms and turned his back to her. His throat was locking again and if he wasn't careful, he might just lose it again. Laila knew about Morgana. Merlin wasted no time in telling all the horrible things Morgana tried to do to take her place on Camelot's throne, despite the fact that it rightfully belonged to Arthur. His last memory of her was the hatred in her eyes when she told him it had only just begun while mourning over the unconscious body of her now dead sister, Morgause. That was the day Merlin finally acknowledged that he fell out of love- because Morgana decided what side she was on. And it wasn't with Merlin; it was _against_ him.

"It's not like that anymore," he said softly. "It's the past."

"I know why you're scared." The warlock felt Laila's small hand on his back. "You're scared you're going to lose me. Like Freya. Like… Morgana."

Merlin took a deep breath before turning back around. He got a long look at Laila, wondering if she would ever believe a single word he said. "All I want is to know that you won't wake up one morning and just… just leave. I didn't lose Morgana… she left. And after so long, I find a girl who may have just given me hope that… that at last, I moved on."

Laila didn't speak. She lifted a hand to his face, an affectionate gesture that made his heart swell. "Are you afraid I'll hurt you, Merlin?" He didn't answer and he didn't have to. She closed her eyes in a way that told him she was fighting tears. But why was _she_ crying? She hadn't done anything wrong.

"Laila," he said gently, "What is it?"

He put his hand on top of hers, waiting for her response. She opened her eyes. They were glistening. "You mean the world to me, Merlin. More than that. And I can't be the same for you." She slid her hand out from underneath his but he grabbed with it his fingers.

"Why?" Merlin pressed. "Why do you say that?"

"I'm not Morgana and certainly not Freya," Laila stammered, "You could never feel for me the way you did for them."

Merlin shook his head. "No. You're wrong."

"I'm right. What am I if not just… some replacement?" Laila kept trying to move away but she had no idea just how strong Merlin really was. He had quite a hold on her and he wasn't about to let go.

"You're right," he whispered, "You're not Morgana and you're not Freya. I don't want you to be either. But you're not a replacement. I loved them once but that's the past, Laila. A place I'm not going to return. They're gone and you… you're here. You're real… I love you, Laila." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could even stop them.

The girl stared at the warlock, speechless. Her skin flushed and Merlin felt it radiating off of her. "W-what?"

"I love you." Merlin said it with more confidence. "And don't you dare try to tell me you don't feel the same. I'm one hundred percent sure that you do."

Laila was silent, and the tears that had wanted to drip down her face seemed to have been sucked back into their ducts. All that replaced her face was shock. It took only a second for the girl to register just what was being told to her. Merlin didn't blame her. He was trying to take it all in himself and he was the one who declared it first.

Her voice quivered when she finally parted her lips to reply. "It would be wrong of me to say that I'm used to hearing such things."

"Then you better get used to it." At that moment, Merlin kissed her and it was like all their old ones before he tried to be daring- it was sweet, gentle, yet it said so much. There was passion in his confession but he held back on it when he kissed her. There would be time for that later. When he heard it from her too.

Merlin broke away from her. "Will you say it back? Or forever just leave me wondering?"

The girl shook her head. "You know what I'm going to say."

"I want to hear it."

Laila's mouth curved into a small smile, "It's only fair, isn't it?" And she was about to say it in return when sound of Camelot's bells ran out loudly, interrupting her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: For future chapters, expect the unexpected. That's all I'm going to say.**

**Please review! Cheers.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Of course," Merlin muttered under his breath, turning his head back up to where he entered the caves from. Laila had been close to uttering those words she knew he wanted to hear but the sound of Camelot's bells interrupted her. She breathed out a sigh, wondering what it could have possibly been. Her first thought was that Gwen and Arthur realized their friends were missing and were gathering up a search to find them. A silly thought to think as Gwen was always informed where Laila was and Arthur just automatically assumed his "deadbeat" servant was in the tavern. It had to be something much more serious.

"Let's go, in case Arthur needs me." Merlin grabbed Laila's hand and let her out of the catacombs. She silently followed him, her heart rate speeding up. It usually did this when she felt like something was happening. And from the sounds of it, there was. Before the long, the two were back in the main halls of the castle. They spotted knights leaving the castle. Laila moved to go forward but Merlin stopped her. "Stay inside, Laila, I'll be back."

"I want to know what's happening," Laila argued stubbornly.

"I'll tell you, just stay put in case it's severe." He squeezed her hand reassuringly and planted a quick kiss on her cheek before leaving her standing near the main entrance of the castle.

"Severe? I sure can't handle that," the girl mumbled sarcastically, crossing her arms. She didn't want to stay there- she wanted to go out and see what was happening. But as usual, Laila did as she was told. _If he does not come back in a few minutes, I'm going to see this for myself._

"Laila!" The girl whipped around and saw Gwen running towards her. The maid threw her arms around her. "Thank goodness, I was looking for you everywhere."

"I'm fine," Laila replied, patting her back. "Gwen, what's happening?"

"Something or someone set fire to the lower town, the knights have gone out to stop it," Gwen rushed her sentence, "Laila, _come_, we must hurry."

"_What_?" Laila pulled her hand back, shocked.

"We have to go to the treatment zone, Gaius needs us."

"The people out there need us!"

"Arthur told me to find you and look after-"

"Arthur doesn't know what he's saying." Laila turned around ran towards the entrance.

"_Laila_! Where are you going?" Gwen yelled frantically.

"To make myself useful," she yelled over her shoulder. She blocked out Gwen's calls and ran out of the castle and towards the lower town. All around the square of the citadel, civilians from the lower town were running, screaming for their family members and friends. Laila watched them all, hoping to spot Merlin somewhere. He must have caught up with Arthur and they were both trying to rescue the people.

Laila was met with a shocking sight. Gwen wasn't lying at all. The lower town was brightly lit with flame, the air hot and smoky, the sights painful to watch. Some knights everywhere helped men, women, and children out of their homes while others were trying to douse out the fires. The woman had said outsiders. Meaning this was no accident- someone had intentionally tried to harm the civilians of Camelot. The question lied in who in the world could have done this.

It was then Laila felt someone grab her arm and drag her back. She shrieked in surprise before turning her neck to see it was Agravaine dragging her out of the lower town. "What are you doing?" she demanded, trying to wrench herself free from his grip.

"I'll explain when we get out of here," he answered curtly.

"These people need help!"

"The knights are taking care of it!" With a strong tug, Laila nearly tripped, catching herself before falling. She turned back around to get one last glance. Agravaine should have been out there, helping. He had to act like he was on Camelot's side, wasn't he? He sure wasn't acting like it now.

Agravaine led her to the outskirts of Camelot, where he had managed to snag two horses from the stables. Laila freed herself from his fingers. "What was that?" she snapped, rubbing her wrist. "You nearly threw me to the ground, _I could walk for fuck's sake_!"

Agravaine winced at her swearing. "You wouldn't have listened to me otherwise. Would've run back into the village, to find Merlin possibly."

Laila's cheeks flushed and she rolled her eyes to cover it up. "Whatever. Now, why are we here? And why are the horses here?"

"We have to leave Camelot momentarily."

"For what? The lower town is up in flames and you want to go for a ride?"

"Morgana wants you," Agravaine responded, ignoring her quip. The girl paused. "She's back? She wants to see me?"

"Yes, now hurry, Morgana is waiting."

Gladly obeying this time, Laila hoisted herself up on the lighter-haired horse while Agravaine got on the darker one. _Matches his personality_, Laila thought bitterly to herself. Silently, the rode through the woods to Morgana's hovel, deep in the forest. It had been a while since Laila had seen her, and it was strange to admit, but she missed Morgana. Though she had been described as cold-hearted with cruel intentions, she had been lucky to see the former ward's kinder, softer side. She had taken Laila from a hard life and given her a new one... even though her intentions had not improved. After tonight, the girl didn't know how she could erase her guilt. Merlin had just confessed that he loved her. That was a big deal, a very big deal. And it would result in nothing but both hearts getting broken.

Thankfully, catching sight of Morgana's hovel managed to stop the flow of uneasy thoughts in Laila's head. She promptly lifted herself off her horse, waiting for Agravaine to do the same.

"Won't they realize we're gone?" she asked.

"I'm sure you can think up some lies in case anyone questions you." His tone irritated Laila. He made it seem like she enjoyed lying. Not bothering to knock, Agravaine opened the door. Laila cautiously followed behind him.

"Hello?" the man called out. He was met with an arm thrusting out and brandishing a cold, silver dagger inches away from his neck.

"Have you no manners, Agravaine, that you do not knock?" came Morgana's icy voice. "Don't let it happen again." She removed the dagger away from his neck. "I don't take kindly to trespassing strangers and I almost assumed you were one."

"My apologies, my lady," Agravaine muttered, his black eyes fixating on the floor in a mix of shame and embarrassment, "But I have brought the girl as you asked."

"The girl has a name," Laila spoke up. Morgana finally took notice of her. Her lips carved into a familiar smile. "She has not lost her spark."

The witch did a touching thing then, hugging Laila as she had not seen her in a long time. It was short yet sweet at the same time.

"How are you?" Morgana asked, putting the dagger on the table. "It's been so long since we've spoken."

"A long time, indeed," Laila agreed, looking around the hovel. It hadn't changed much since she last saw it. "Where have you been, Morgana? Agravaine says you had business to take care of but you never told me anything? Has anything happened?"

Morgana's smile disappeared and she looked warily at Agravaine. "Wait outside," she commanded, "I have some catching up to do."

Agravaine tried to change her mind. "My lady, I feel it best that-"

"I don't care what you feel best, my lord," she interrupted, "I wish to speak to Laila in private. Now do as I say. Keep watch in case any Camelot knight as seen your leave."

The man stared stiffly from Morgana to Laila then back to Morgana. His expression was unreadable but Laila sensed there was some anger built up in him for being so coldly spoken to. "As you wish." He bowed his head once and let the hovel quietly. The girl was glad she wasn't him.

"Now then," Morgana started, "Sit down. I have to fill you in on what's going on." Laila sat with the woman, suddenly feeling uncomfortable after witnessing her harsh treatment of Agravaine. What if some day that became her? She wasn't passive like him, surely she'd cause more trouble for herself. But her surroundings brought her back out of her thoughts and into the present.

"First, I want to know. How is it going with you in Camelot?" Morgana asked, crossing her hands in front of her.

"It's been great, actually," Laila answered, "I've blended in well, no one knows I have magic, I've made friends…"

"You look healthier too," the woman noted. "Last I saw you, you were covered in bruises and looked like you hadn't eaten in forever."

Laila nodded. "Gaius gave me something to help with the marks and I've been eating regularly. Gwen's been kind in letting me stay with her."

Morgana snorted. "Does the woman have no faults?"

A smile played on the girl's lips. "Doesn't seem like it."

"I've known Guinevere a long time, even she has her own secrets. The best way to break a woman who is so perfect like that is to bring those secrets to the surface."

"Well… I suppose…" Morgana was getting ideas, something Laila would rather stay out of. It sounded a lot more direct than what she was doing.

"Moving on," Morgana dismissed, "The most important matter- Merlin. Has your relationship progressed since we last spoke?"

_Here we go_. Laila didn't want to say it. After her evening with Merlin in the caves, she had no guts to repeat what he said to Morgana. He told her he _loved_ her. _Love._ A word that the girl herself could barely define. And another thing; was it worth telling the witch in front of her that once upon time, the man she hated used to love her?

"Your expression is telling me yes, but you refuse to say it out loud." Morgana leaned in. "Tell me."

"I, uh… well, it's complicated," Laila said. "Things have happened, a lot more quickly than I had assumed."

"Well, aren't I in for a story?" Morgana leaned back. "Go on then. We have all night if we need it."

"It's not really a story, it's-" she didn't quite exactly know what to call it. "We saw each other before- see, there were fires in Camelot's lower town and-"

"I know," Morgana cut in.

"You do?" Laila stared at her.

"Oh come now, isn't it obvious who was the cause of it?" the woman replied obviously. "It's all part what I am about to fill you in on."

Laila didn't know what to say. The fires had been caused by someone for a purpose- no one just randomly attacked a city. So it really was not shock that it was Morgana's doing. But not from her- it was her orders and another's actions. "Forgive me for cutting off what I was saying but- why did you do it? And who did it?"

"Men from another city, men who I have created an alliance with to take the throne," Morgana responded, crossing one leg over the other comfortably, "They were rather surreptitious about it. That's what happens when you equip yourself with someone as skilled as me- if they were caught, then it was their fault, not mine. Some men are stupid, no matter how many follow your commands."

"Why? Why the people in the lower town?" Laila questioned, "They were innocent, Morgana. You wouldn't have-"

"That's how you weaken your enemies, Laila. You take the lives of the innocent without being revealed. You burn their houses and their crops, wound their friends and family, all of that… and you cover your tracks. Arthur will be too busy worrying about his townsfolk rather than strengthening his men."

"How did you do it?" Laila had to ask.

"It was simple. It's very easy to make a fire, yet a little more difficult to make it look like an accident. You just have to find the right spot to start with. Before you know it, a small flame has spread to an even bigger mess. They had to be careful, though. They had to wait until the area was clear or else someone would catch them. With any luck, and they better pray they had any, all went according to plan." Morgana finished explaining, her eyes fixed on Laila. The pale green shade burned into hers, intimidating her. The witch was truly the only person who could scare her.

"Where are they now? Your men… they're not around here are they?"

"Probably shacking up at some inn in a nearby town. It's not a long way off to the next one," Morgana said, "And hopefully they covered their tracks. I don't want anyone making relations of that fire to me. My intention was to revert Arthur's attention elsewhere."

"Right…" It suddenly occurred to Laila how divided up her loyalties were. At Camelot, she was on Arthur's side. But in truth, she was fighting for Morgana. The fire seemed to be a smaller mess compared to the one she was making. "So this was why you were gone so long. You were finding an army for yourself."

Morgana nodded. "Planning is not this army's best skill, nor a quality of their leaders. They are also a city that has not had contact with Camelot in years. It was perfect."

"I see… what city then? Have I heard of it?" At this, Laila saw Morgana shift in her seat, her eyes looking away from her, avoiding her gaze. She raised an eyebrow. Just a minute ago, the woman was cozy in her seat.

"You have," she said, looking at her lap. "I'm afraid you're not going to like what I have to say."

_That seems to be the quote of my life since I never like what people have to say. _"Just say it, Morgana."

The witch finally met her eyes. "I have created an alliance with the Kanark brothers of Cervena. Lords Jon, Tom, and Rheon have given their army to me so long as when I take the throne, I bind our two cities together by a treaty."

Laila's stomach dropped. The words that had come out of Morgana's mouth sent her into such a shock, she was positive she was going to be sick all over her floor. The girl swallowed, holding the contents in. Had she heard correctly? No, no, she was imagining things. Morgana did not just say that the men who had started the fire were Cervena men-

"You're lying," she said shakily. "You didn't. You're just trying to upset me."

"I don't lie about such matters," Morgana snapped. "I'm serious, these are the men who are going to help me take Camelot!"

"_Why_?" Laila moaned, shaking her head, "Why them? Of all people, you choose the Kanark brothers?"

"They are the last men expected to lead an attack on the city. Last time they disputed, Arthur and the youngest son got into a fight. It didn't take too much convincing. I dangled an offer in front of them they would be stupid to pass up."

_Just like you did with me. _"I can't believe you did that." Laila covered her face.

"What are you so worried about?"

"You do understand they'll recognize who I am at some point?" Laila exclaimed, "Rheon will, definitely. They've assumed this whole time I've been with bandits. They don't know I'm in Camelot, working for you… right?"

Morgana was silent. Laila stared at her in disbelief. "_You told them_?"

"This is precisely why I told Agravaine to wait outside. You might hurt him while throwing a fit."

"The hell I would! How could you? How could you tell them?" Laila stood up, practically knocking her chair over. "I thought you would save me from them but no, you just tell them where I am. What, did you expect them to be fine with the fact that an old whore of theirs is living a so-called normal life in an enemy city?"

"I promised myself I wouldn't let any of them lay a hand on you," Morgana pressed, "But I had to tell them. They did not believe I had any chance of taking Camelot but once I said I had insiders, they agreed right away."

Laila groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. The Kanark brothers were the men she thought she finally had escaped from- but they were going to make an appearance in her life once more, and chances were, they weren't going to let her off easily. Morgana had sworn she would protect her. In fact, Laila could protect herself, now that her magic had strengthened. But she didn't trust herself or Morgana enough. Something was going to slip.

"I can't say anything else, I'm just-"

"You just have to have faith that I'll keep my word. And trust me, Laila. I keep my word." Morgana sounded so stern, it almost changed her mind. But Laila did not just change her mind easily.

"Now you know where've I been. Please sit down and calm yourself, everything's going to be fine." Laila sat but she was not calm at all. "Can we please circle back to the previous question?"

She had forgotten about that. Talking about Merlin… this was slowly turning into a complex day.

"You said things had gotten complicated. How so? Has he been holding back? Is he suspicious of you?" Morgana pelted her with so many questions at once, Laila had to take a second to gather her thoughts before speaking.

"No, he's not suspicious. Although he might be once he sees I'm gone," she pointed out.

"We'll come up with another excuse," Morgana waved off. "So what has happened?"

"Morgana, he… he told me he loves me," Laila blurted out, regretting it the minute it came out. The expression that replaced the collected one on Morgana's face made her feel as if she made the biggest mistake of her life. It was like a mix of shock, anger, and jealousy all in one. In other words, it was the deadliest expression Laila had ever seen. She was honestly considering bolting out of here in case Morgana lost it on her.

"Oh did he?" The look changed to one of a forced, evil smirk. But the evil part of it was weak. "That's good, Laila. It means you are doing well. Keeping up your end of the bargain very nicely."

Laila exhaled sharply. She saw right through it. "You don't sound too pleased."

"Of course I am. You're doing your job, why should I not be pleased?"

"It's just… for a moment there, you looked angry…"

"I was just shocked, that's all. It happened rather quickly than expected but for that, I am satisfied."

"You know, Morgana, I've yet to truly understand why you want me to break his heart so badly," Laila brought up.

"I told you, he ruined my plans," the witch calmly explained, "And for that, I want revenge. He killed my sister and forced me to these drab living conditions. The throne is rightfully mine and he prevented me from taking it."

"You're going to throw the entire blame on Merlin?"

"Who else? He meddled with my plans, got in my way!"

"From what he said, he wanted to help you," Laila mentioned. She recalled Merlin's stories, particularly the parts where he said he wanted to make Morgana good again. It hadn't worked, obviously, but he had tried to sway her to see right.

Morgana stiffened. "Help me? Please, if poisoning me and trying to kill me is his idea of help, then he has no clue what the word means. He wanted to help me, he should've minded his own business and let me to my plans."

Laila shook her head again in disbelief. "You killed innocent people-"

"And what? Merlin was the big hero?" Morgana snapped, "Is that what he made himself out to be to you? So you could fall for his heroic ways, his kindness, his good heart? What more has he told you to change your opinion of me?"

"I…" Before she could respond, Morgana had grabbed her arm and leaned in close to her face. Laila's heart was pounding so violently, she was sure the witch could hear it.

"What do you think of me?" she hissed, eyes boring into hers, "Do you think I've been cruel? Do you believe Merlin's side of the story over mine?"

Eyes wide, Laila attempted to form sentences. "No, he… I didn't… I don't think… please let me go…"

Morgana softened and loosened her grip on Laila's arm. "I'm sorry," she muttered, "I got carried away."

"It's fine," Laila mumbled in reply, rubbing the area where the woman had grabbed her. She shouldn't have said anything, should've made up a lie on the spot. Already, she was in deep and it didn't look like there was anyway of climbing out just yet.

Morgana took a deep breath as she lowered herself back into her chair. "What did you say in return? Did you say you loved him back?"

"No," Laila admitted. "I didn't. The bells rang before I could say anything in return. For the fires, you know."

"Right," the witch nodded. The girl detected the slight quiver in her voice. Morgana took a moment to fully collect herself before she resumed. "What would you have said back?"

At this, Laila stayed silent, completely unsure of how to answer. The woman's eyes felt more like they were piercing at her. "Either your silence means something very good or something very bad."

"I wouldn't say either…"

"Then what? You don't actually feel anything for him, do you?" No response.

Morgana leaned forward. "Laila, you answer me right now. Do you love Merlin back?"

"I… well… what does it matter anyway? It's not like we're going to stay together. You want the throne and I have to betray him to help you get it." Laila couldn't help the iciness in her tone. Couldn't Morgana tell that this was the one flaw in her plan? She probably assumed Laila was so damaged that her relationships with other men could effortlessly be faked if it meant they suffered in the end. But Merlin was the very last person Laila wanted to see suffer… and for some reason, the first person Morgana wanted to see.

Morgana looked at her for a long time before she responded. "You're getting too attached, Laila," she decided, "All this talk of love and nonsense has made you think you love him back. He's more of a charmer than I assumed him to be."

Laila suddenly felt angry. "You say that as if any feelings I have are fake."

"Don't tell me you think otherwise!" Morgana laughed dryly, "Come now, how could you love him? He doesn't deserve you at all."

"Oh, so I suppose he deserves you then, because you're both so cunning?" Laila said in a louder voice than she wanted to. Morgana raised an eyebrow yet stayed still. She continued, "It really is a shame, Morgana. You think I'm so daft a girl that I don't notice anything. But I do. I could read your face like an open book."

"What are you talking about?" Morgana sounded deadly calm.

"You know what I'm talking about!" Laila slammed her hands on the table. "You want me to break Merlin's heart because he broke yours, didn't he? That day he tried to poison you? I bet that stung. Here's some news for you, Morgana. You broke his heart first, when you sided against him. He chose Arthur's life over yours and it hurt you. And now you want revenge on him to make him feel your pain. You chose to hate Merlin and this was your biggest mistake because in case this wasn't proven, he cared deeply for you." She kept going, knowing this would affect the witch more than anything. "What you did broke his heart many times and no matter what I do, no matter what you do, it will never compare to what you did to him back then. You betrayed him first."

Morgana was frozen in her seat, staring up at Laila with fierce, cold eyes. It took her a lot of nerve to say what she just did but the truth was as clear as crystal. It was time to stop clouding it up. Laila wasn't even afraid of Morgana would do anymore- at least, not in that second. She expected the witch to rise from her seat, utter a simple, one-worded spell, and kill her right there, on the spot. What she said next came as a surprise.

"_Get out_." The words were firm and threatening, the famous glare taking over Morgana's face.

Laila was taken aback. "What?"

"I said get out! Get out of here! Go back to your stupid servant, just get out!" Morgana reached for the dagger on the table. It almost sounded like she was about to cry. _Don't make me threaten you_, she seemed to say. Laila was glaring back, but on the inside, she was shaking furiously. It didn't stop when she exited the hovel. It didn't stop when she walked past Agravaine and climbed onto her horse. It didn't stop when she rode away, ignoring his calls.

It was then Laila realized the shaking would not stop for quite a while. And by a while… a rather long time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I don't think any of us would want to be in the same room with an angry Morgana. That woman gives you a look that cuts like a knife… but anyways, enough about Katie McGrath's talent for evil looks. I'm thinking shit's about to hit the fan now that Laila's just told off our beloved High Priestess. We'll see what happens next time. And to some of you, I apologize for the lack of Mergana action. Believe me, I've been thinking of ways for incorporating that into the story.**

**Please review! Each time I get one, a new dragon is born. And we all love dragons, so… review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Morgana was so angry, it felt like her insides were on fire. If she hadn't mastered staying calm under any circumstances, the hovel would have been reduced to an even bigger pile of dirt than it already was. Never in her life had anyone spoken to her like that- not if they valued their life and had knowledge of her unmatched abilities. But for some reason, Morgana had not struck at Laila with her powers. She did not make her take back those words or torture the girl into apologizing. The image of Laila being beaten and pushed around by the bandits came to mind and stopped her from doing something she knew she would regret in the future. Instead, she shakily lowered the dagger back onto the table and attempted to swallow the monster-sized lump lodged in her throat.

Laila had not been using her imagination to create a bunch of lies; she had slapped the truth in the witch's face and Morgana felt the sting far worse than anything. This was the first time someone stepped up and told her as it was- no sugarcoating, no beating around the bush, none of that. Morgana wasn't sure she enjoyed the bluntness of Laila's speech- but she had to hand it to her, the girl had guts, standing up to a powerful witch like her. Yet it wasn't enough to stop the rage building up inside of her. How dare Laila talk about those matters as if it were any of her concern? Who was she to tell Morgana how she felt and how Merlin felt?

Morgana was so caught up in her own thoughts and emotions, she almost didn't notice Agravaine walk into her hovel, reluctantly calling out her name. She swallowed again and tried her best to keep her voice controlled. "Y-yes, what?"

Agravaine got a good look at her but dared not bring up the glassiness of her eyes. "Is everything alright, Morgana?"

"Does it look alright?" she spat, crossing over to the other side of the room, turning her back to the older man. "Is she waiting outside?"

"The girl has left, possibly ridden back to Camelot," answered Agravaine, hesitant of walking any further to her. Instead, he cautiously lowered himself onto a chair, keeping his arm at close length to his sword. "Am I overstepping a boundary by asking what in the world happened?"

"It is not you who has overstepped any boundaries, my lord," Morgana replied, taking a deep breath, "It is Laila who has done so. I made a mistake in sending her too soon. Not once did I consider what else could happen if I had."

"She has turned against you?" Agravaine questioned. Morgana turned around to face him. "Not yet. Though I fear she is no longer willing to play by my rules."

"What did she say?" the man urged her to continue.

"Nothing worth repeating." _More like none of your business._ Morgana walked back to the table and sat down, thinking to herself. Laila had been reliable and she was doing her job- but she wasn't about to take orders directly. A girl with no grip on her powers, no other relationships, living a lie, and she saw herself and Morgana as equals. Therefore, it gave her some right to speak to the woman like that. Morgana had been so good at keeping secrets, and one of the most silently observant girls she had ever met in her life saw right through her. What would happen next, the witch had no idea.

"I wish you would tell me, my lady," Agravaine pressed forward, interrupting her private conversation with herself, "All these secrets make me suspicious, as if you are leaving me out of matters I should know of."

"These are none of your concern, my lord, something personal between the girl and I," Morgana replied calmly.

"I told you before we could not trust her and I stand by what I said. She will ruin your plains, Morgana, and you know it. Camelot is harder to take than ever."

"You are wrong, Agravaine. You are forgetting whose side she is on. No matter how much she tries to defy me, she knows who saved her. Who truly cares for her." Morgana sat back, hands on the arms of her chair. She eyed the man. "And I hear loyalty is an important quality among Cervena folk. Even the whores."

Agravaine's wet black eyes narrowed. "I still feel that you should have chosen a different family to create an alliance with," he muttered, "Of all people, the Kanarks…"

"How many times must I assure you that everything will go according to plan?" Morgana snapped.

"After the girl storming out like that, I am not assured of anything!" he exclaimed.

"Laila's fine. Just upset that I have allied with her enemies."

"For once, I agree with her."

"Oh, don't be like that, my lord. The Kanarks may be known for having reputations far worse than Uther's, but I found them rather… helpful." _In ways I hate to admit._ Morgana thought of Rheon at that moment and felt like she was going to throw up. But desperation had taken hold of her that day and someone had been around to relieve her of it. It was sick and wrong and left a bad taste in her mouth- and it had been done.

"I'll take your word for it," Agravaine said, though he still sounded uncertain. "Was that all that upset the girl?"

Morgana's lip curled when Laila's words replayed in her head. "The last thing I thought I'd be concerned about was any chance of 'falling in love'." It made her feel even sicker to say those words out loud. "And today I hear that Merlin has indeed confessed he loves her and I have a feeling she is reciprocating, no matter how hard she tries to cover it."

"Yet you still try to convince me she is to be trusted?"

"She does not really know him as well as I," Morgana scoffed, more to herself than to him, "I know Merlin, and well. A subtle charmer he is, and one smile from him, I'm sure she was swooning inside. And Merlin's so desperate, he would go for anyone, even a whore."

"But he does not know of who she really is."

"Like he'd care," she snorted, "Not being given the chance to court any girls can lower one's taste. Arthur certainly hasn't left room for courtship."

"I won't disagree with that," Agravaine admitted. "Arthur can work Merlin to the ground, though I daresay he's softened up after confessing his feelings for the servant girl."

The witch lifted her head. "Guinevere. So sweet and perfect, letting a girl she's never met live with her. I'd be damned if I didn't think her relationship with Arthur fucked with Laila's head." At this, the man winced. Morgana rolled her eyes. It was just swearing, what was his problem with it?

"What are you suggesting we do, then? Reveal her true identity to the king?" Agravaine asked. "It would anger him, surely, but Arthur is not an bloodthirsty animal like his father. He would let her go with banishment from Camelot."

"A sentence my people would've kissed the ground for if only Uther had the heart," Morgana said icily. "We can't do that, though. It wasn't part of the plan."

"I never understood your intention with using Laila in the first place," Agravaine brought up. "Was it another inside source or something else?"

"Must I repeat everything to you?" Morgana snapped, "I told you, Merlin messed with my schemes more than once and I figured she would provide a distraction for him."

"It's working, I will say that. She is going to betray him in the end."

"Good. Maybe then he'll realize the pain of betrayal is far worse than anything."

"How has-?"

"Arthur, my lord. The king means the world to Merlin, isn't it clear to see?" Morgana rolled her eyes. "He's already let others down at the cost of Arthur's life."

"Am I to assume he will do the same in the case of the girl?"

Morgana gripped the arms of her chair. "Why not? He chooses Arthur over everyone, it won't come as a shock to me if he chose him over Laila as well. Merlin cares of no one but himself and his precious king. He wouldn't know how to express loyalty to the girl he loves if his life depended on it."

Agravaine sensed the tension in her voice. "You sound troubled, Morgana."

"I'm just sick of talking about the wretched servant who poisoned me, killed my sister, thwarted my plans, and forced me to live in this shithole," she snipped, "That's all."

"Forgive me if I speak out of line, but am I feel that this relationship between Merlin and Laila bothers you."

Morgana shot him a death stare that could bring an army down. "Step out of line one more time, Agravaine. Risk it, I insist."

The man looked afraid for a moment then hung his head. "My apologies. I understand it's not the best thing, discussing someone you hate." _You chose to hate Merlin and this was your biggest mistake because in case this wasn't proven, he cared deeply for you._ The witch shook her head as if it would block out Laila's words.

"I will stop bringing him up. But please, allow me to ask what we're going to do about the girl?"

Morgana exhaled. "Keep an eye on her. Laila's not stupid, she is fully aware of what will happen if she dare turns against me. Besides, Merlin will let her down sooner or later and then she'll see for herself who truly cares for her and is on her side."

Agravaine didn't look convinced but he nodded nevertheless. "Whatever you say."

Morgana straightened up. "Now, on to something much more crucial." She pushed aside her own complications while the man was still here. If she continued, he would ask her more questions about Laila, and they all led back to Merlin. Morgana had no intention of discussing Merlin with Agravaine. It was too much that one person read her like an open book, she didn't need another. "The Kanarks and I have discussed that we must strike when Arthur is not ready for us."

"His village has been burned, it could take quite some time before it is restored back to normal," Agravaine reminded.

"Not enough. Arthur is the center of it all- if he is weakened, so is everyone else." What was a good way to weaken someone? What exhausted a person much more than physical disability, disturbed the typicality of their life, led their minds away from important things at hand? Morgana clenched her teeth together when the answer came to her: _heartbreak._

"My lord," she spoke up suddenly. Agravaine looked to her. "My lady?"

"How do you break a person?" she asked, but it was rhetorical.

"I'm… not quite sure what you mean."

"I'll tell you. Through their heart." Morgana leaned in. "You betray them. I can only speak from experience how much it can hurt a person when they see they have been betrayed by someone they thought cared for them. Do you know what that feels like?"

"I can't say it's not a painful feeling," he muttered, "But who would willingly betray Arthur? The girl?"

Morgana sighed impatiently. "Are you forgetting that Merlin is the one she must hurt? _No_, my lord. I'm talking about Guinevere."

Agravaine raised an eyebrow. "Are you to tell me that Guinevere is going to betray the one she loves most?"

"Precisely so."

"I don't see how that is possible, Morgana," Agravaine countered, "They have only grown closer and my suspicion is that Arthur plans to marry her soon."

Morgana turned her eyes to him sharply. "He wishes to make Gwen his queen?"

"He told me of the news a bit before the fires."

She felt angry once more. "It's just like in my dream. I will not see that woman on my throne!"

"As I have said, I do not see how we can stop her."

Morgana calmed herself and started thinking her original thought. Unlike Laila, Gwen had no past to be ashamed of. She had not slept with many men as a profession, did not have magic, and had never been promiscuous. And she certainly had never told a lie to Arthur. _Perfect, pure Guinevere_, she thought bitterly. _There has to be something from the past, something that could come to the present and meddle in her and Arthur's life… that's it!_

"There is one that can ruin King Arthur's plans," Morgana started quietly, smirking. "One that can come between them. We all have our secrets and unfortunately for Guinevere, I know hers." Her cold green eyes looked back up at Agravaine who was slowly starting to match her smirk. "I know _exactly_ how to destroy her."

"Pray tell," he murmured. "Who?"

One single name was the answer to it all. "Lancelot."

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><p><strong>AN: Oh, Morgana, quit playing around… your readers know how you truly feel, if only the ones around you did… **

**I'm going back and forth on what I'm going to do for the next two chapters or so, but you'll see once it happens. Please continue reviewing! Not only are they appreciated, but they have proven useful… very useful indeed. Cheers!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_Outsiders_, Arthur had announced at the last-minute gathering after the fires. Though he did not know who exactly, the king was positive the attack had come from an another kingdom, an enemy one at that. Many had said it was an accident, but there was no changing his mind. Someone was out to get Camelot and no one knew who.

It had taken a long time, helping the people out of their burning homes and shops, coughing up from the scent of smoke and sweating in the hellish atmosphere. The knights, Arthur, and Merlin did the best they could, taking injured folk to the treatment zone, praying there would be no deaths tonight. Supplies were singed, crops burned, houses ruined and crumbled- the king had more on his hands to deal with than ever before. He stood in the council room with his members of the court, covered in black dust. Merlin and the other knights were the same, their clothes tattered from the fires. The warlock himself had been coughing so much, he was sure his voice would be gone by tomorrow.

"I can't simply accept that this fire was an accident," Arthur said firmly, taking occasional sips of water from his cup to calm down his lungs. The scent of smoke clung to his clothes and the same went for everyone else who had gone to rescue townsfolk.

"Who could possibly threaten Camelot in such a way?" Sir Leon asked the number one question on everyone's tongues.

"I don't know, but whoever it was is no friend to me or too Camelot. We must stay alert," Arthur advised, putting his cup down on the table. Next to him, Gwen stood anxiously, brown eyes looking up intently at her lover. Her own house had been affected by the fires and she was staying strong and collected, though the lord knew where she would live now. Merlin was standing next to Gaius and his exterior did not give away how sick with worry he was. Laila was nowhere to be seen and neither was Agravaine; did this not cross anyone's minds? Last he saw her, she was waiting in the castle for him, yet it did not surprise her that she chose not to listen and ventured out anyway.

"Where is my uncle?" Arthur asked the court, as if reading Merlin's mind. He scanned the room expectantly.

"Last we saw, he was in the lower town with us," Gwaine reported, wiping soot off his sword with a piece of cloth, "Haven't seen him since."

"He's probably back at his chambers. God knows how exhausted we all are," Elyan spoke up, letting out a cough. "Or, he's left the city to find the source of the flames." Merlin highly doubted Agravaine wanted to play the big hero though he couldn't care less where the king's uncle was. For all he knew, Agravaine was visiting Morgana to update her on the latest occurrence at the city… _Morgana!_

"Sire," Merlin chimed in, causing everyone's heads to turn to him.

"Yes?" Arthur waited for what he had to say. It wasn't often his servant talked during council so this better had been worth it.

"Have you considered that maybe Morgana was behind the fires?" Merlin's suggestion raised a murmur above the members of the court. Arthur's expression suddenly turned wary and retracted the hand that was reaching for the water once more. He lifted it up to silence the hushed voices of his members, eyes not leaving his servant.

"Merlin has a point, my lord," Leon agreed, nodding his head at the warlock. "It would not surprise me if this was Morgana's doing."

"It has been a while since she has decided to attack," Elyan added.

"Good," Gwaine drawled in his playful tone, "Things were getting a bit dull around here without her to spice it all up."

"Enough, Gwaine," Arthur ordered, and the knights snickered at his nerve. "It is very plausible that this was the work of Morgana. She is a witch after all, and her number one priority is to bring about Camelot's fall." The king averted his eyes to Gaius. "Gaius? Do you have anything to add to the matter?" Everyone knew how much Arthur and his father before him valued the old man's opinion. Gaius had been around for a very long time and he held with him a great amount of knowledge that would provide counsel to the king.

The old physician looked thoughtful. "It is very much a possibility, sire. Morgana has grown in her powers and I would not underestimate her capabilities. Though many townsfolk have claimed the flames were cause by accident."

"I refuse to accept that," Arthur dismissed, picking up his cup of water. Before he could take another drink, Gaius spoke some more. "Morgana may have magic, but without any defense or an army of her own, she is no threat to the city. She knows it as well as anyone, my lord."

The court grew silent. Arthur started thinking to himself, absentmindedly handing the water to Gwen. Merlin eyed him carefully, one half of his mind in the present situation, the other thinking about where in the world Laila could be.

Arthur was still quiet when Gwen gently nudged him. "My lord?" she tried.

He shook his head. "Leon, Elyan, please go find my uncle. Check his chambers, check anywhere, I must speak with him. If you find him, tell him to come to the council room immediately." The two knights bowed their heads and left the room as quickly as they could. Arthur seemed troubled as he addressed the rest of his members. "As for the rest of you, council is dismissed."

They left, anxiously whispering to each other and turning their necks to glance back at their king. Gaius turned to leave but Merlin stayed put. There was one thing left to figure out. He stayed back as Arthur looked to Gwen.

"I had one of the maids fix up a room for you in the castle," Arthur started, pouring himself another cup of water. He took Gwen's hand and pulled her closer. "I'm sorry about your home, Guinevere."

Gwen forced a smile and shook her head. "It's alright, the damage wasn't too horrible. I'll just go tomorrow and see if I can find anything that wasn't ruined by the fire." The intimate moment between them made Merlin feel uncomfortable and he diverted his attention to the floor. At that second, his boots became an interesting sight to see. Anything but what was before him.

"I'll have it fixed up as soon as I can," Arthur promised, a smile creeping up on his face. "Though, I doubt that would be necessary in the future."

This time, the maid's smile was bright and genuine. "Arthur Pendragon, just what do you mean by that?"

"You'll see." Arthur kissed her then and Merlin definitely felt like he was intruding. _Really now? For goodness sake, someone else is in the room_! He cleared his throat loudly and they broke away from each other. Gwen was blushing madly and Arthur looked at his servant, deeply annoyed at his interruption.

"Sorry," Merlin croaked, touching his throat, "Must have been the smoke, it got to me and all that…"

Arthur rolled his eyes before looking back at his love. "You should go get some sleep. We'll see to your house in the morning."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Gwen asked, laying an affectionate hand on Arthur's arm. "You seemed... disturbed a few moments ago."

"Just thinking, but it's nothing," Arthur assured. "Go on, then."

Gwen curtsied shortly, merely flattering her king. "Goodnight, my lord." She threw a sheepish smile in Merlin's direction before leaving them alone in the room. Merlin smiled back and her and made sure the doors were completely closed before turning to walk towards his master.

"Do you have to be such a nosy prat, Merlin?" Arthur snapped, slamming his cup down on the table.

"Sorry, sire, but there is something I must-"

"I was having a moment with Guinevere and you stand there, watching us!" the king exclaimed, shaking his head. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Merlin clenched his teeth. "Arthur-"

"Don't get me started, my uncle is missing, my lower town was practically burned to the ground, my half-sister is out to get me, and now my servant won't let me have two minutes with the love of my life! I could have really used those two minutes, Merlin." Arthur threw his arms up dramatically as if Merlin destroyed the one good thing in his life when in reality, he just wanted his master to listen.

"Sire, will you _please_ just-"

"Really now, do I stand around and stare at you when you and Laila think you're safely hidden away in the alcoves of the corridors and I can hear every word you say?"

Merlin widened his eyes and his face flushed a deep red. "_You hear us in the alcoves_?"

"You're not as quiet as you think you are," his master smirked, crossing his arms. "Now, _what_ do you have to say to me that's so important, _Mer_lin?"

The warlock expired a sharp breath. "Funny you mention her, because Laila's missing too."

He watched the man narrow his eyes but it wasn't in anger- it was in confusion. "What are you talking about, I thought she was with you?"

"She was. I told her to stay in the castle when the bells rang out but that's the last I saw of her," Merlin explained, "I asked Gwen where she ran off too but she thought Laila was with me."

Arthur contemplated this. He wasn't expressing it out loud, but he was genuinely concerned for the girl. Not only was she now considered a citizen of Camelot and a maid of the royal household, but the king was aware of how much she meant to Merlin and to Guinevere as well. Merlin was confident Arthur would do something. In this respect, he was not like Uther- even the lives of serving girls were important to him.

"We scoured the lower town but we'll do so again, right after I speak to my uncle," the king decided. "That is, if he is even in the castle. Honestly, where did he run off to? A time like this is not a time to be enjoying an evening ride through the forest."

_That's probably because he's the reason Laila's gone_, Merlin thought bitterly. He debated on whether he should speak his mind but Agravaine was family and Arthur held his words in the highest regard. If he said even a small thing that could be against a family member, Merlin might not hear the last of it from the king.

"You look troubled, Merlin, is something bothering you?" Arthur interrupted Merlin's private thoughts. He fixed his blue eyes on the other man, waiting for a response.

"I just… what if something's happened to her?" he said quietly, looking back down at the floor. Vulnerability wasn't something either of the two exposed to each other and showing fear for someone else was doing just that.

"Nothing has happened to her," Arthur said, but his reassurance didn't convince Merlin of anything. "We will find her. In fact, she might even turn up anytime soon. You'll see."

"She would have by now," Merlin argued, his voice rising, "The town isn't a place to get lost in, I told her specifically-"

"I heard you the first time!" Arthur snipped, lifting a hand. "As soon as I finish talking with my uncle, I will-"

"No,_ now_," Merlin pressed, "Please, what if something happens to her while you're-"

He was cut off by the sound of the doors flying open and Sirs Leon and Elyan walking back inside. "Sire," Elyan started, "Sir Agravaine is not in his chambers. He is not in the castle, nor in the square."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What? That's impossible, check again."

"My lord, Sir Agravaine is nowhere to be seen," Leon confirmed, "The only other conclusion to come to is that he has left Camelot."

Merlin turned his head back to Arthur. "Laila's gone too," he jumped in, not taking his eyes off the king, "He's done something to her."

Arthur widened his eyes and right then, the warlock knew he had crossed a line. "Merlin, you're being ridiculous."

"I'm not being ridiculous!" Merlin insisted, throwing his hands up. "Sire, for once, just listen to me-"

"Merlin, that is enough," the king ordered, "You have a lot of nerve tonight, I must say. I know you never took to my uncle but that does not give you the right to talk about him this way. The day is getting to you, you clearly need rest."

"Can't you put two and two together?" Merlin exclaimed angrily, "I know you're so willing to believe that Agravaine would never turn against you, but it's this trust in him that's constantly putting other lives in danger and-"

"_Hold your tongue_!" Arthur shouted in a voice that overpowered the warlock's. "Leon, Elyan, take Merlin to his chambers _right now_."

"Arthur-" Merlin was silenced by Leon's and Elyan's hands gripping at his arms and pulling him away from the king. The man stepped forward and shot a threatening glare at his servant. "If I wasn't in my right mind, I'd chain up your worthless backside and toss you in the dungeons. One more word out of you about my uncle and I swear, I will throw you in the stocks and let you rot in there. Do you understand me?"

Lips pressed tightly together, Merlin nodded stiffly. His magic mixed with the rage building up inside of him urged to burst from his fingertips but he kept his cool, no intention of making a scene.

"Good." Arthur took a step back. "And just to shut you up, I'll have the knights search every inch of this city for her and for my uncle. Take him away, he's said too much tonight."

Merlin yanked his arms free from the knights. "I can walk," he muttered, tossing a hard look at Arthur before stalking out of the council room, the two knights following behind him. They made sure the doors were closed before shaking their heads at Merlin. He shouldn't have spoken to Arthur like that, he knew better. What was the use? The king had placed so much trust in his uncle and it had become difficult to accept that maybe, Agravaine's loyalties did not lie with Camelot. Silently, Merlin made his way back to Gaius's chambers, fuming to himself. He was angry at Arthur, at Agravaine, at himself, and at Laila, for going missing. Wasn't this the exact thing he told her not to do? To just leave? It was an awful wish to have, but Merlin wanted to believe something indeed had happened to her, instead of her leaving because she wanted to. The fact that this could be the reason of her absence made his stomach churn.

Gaius had asked him what was wrong when he stepped into the chambers but Merlin said he was tired and headed off to bed. It was an obvious lie, as there was no way he could sleep now. All he could do was hope that Arthur really had sent his men to search for Laila. That was his worry and it stayed with him as he lay in bed on his side, his mind overflowing with thoughts that were preventing easy sleep. Yet somehow, with his head a mess, Merlin managed to drift off into a light slumber.

_Eyes, beautiful eyes… they changed color with every blink. Who's eyes was he looking into? First they were dark brown. Then, they became a pale green. And lastly, a light honey shade. He'd looked into each color before- they belonged to three different people._

_Now he was alone. He scanned his whereabouts, heard faint voices calling his name. Merlin, Merlin… but they were each distinct. Who did they belong to?_

"_Merlin." He whipped around and nearly fell back when he saw Freya smiling at him, her small, sweet, yet sad smile. The same one she wore when she had taken her last breath of air before dying in his arms._

"_Merlin." Behind him came the sound of another woman's voice. It belonged to Morgana and when he turned to look, there she was. Morgana wasn't smiling at all- instead she looked at him icily, as if angered. He sucked in a breath- what was she going to do to him?_

_Before he knew it, they were both gone, but he was hearing his name louder and clearer now, the last voice he heard._

_Merlin. Merlin. Merlin._

_Merlin._ He wasn't sure how long he had been out but after a while, he was woken up by the sound of slight tapping against his window. _Tap tap tap._ Followed by his name. _Merlin._ The warlock rose from his bed, shivering at how hauntingly vivid his dream had been. What he was hearing now wasn't a dream; someone really was calling his name.

He went to his window, hearing the familiar whispers through the cracks. Quietly, he opened it, sticking his head out. "Who's there?" he called.

"Merlin." He looked down and felt his insides drop out of him when he saw Laila sitting underneath his window, dangerously close to the edge where a single misstep would lead to a fall. Merlin could make out her outline in the dark and it took a while before he gathered the words. "What are you doing there? You could fall!"

"I've noticed," she said sarcastically, "Which is why it would be great if you helped me into your room."

Merlin snapped out of his surprised trance. "Of course," he said hastily. He stuck out a hand and she grabbed it, her skin cold as ice from the windy night. Grabbing a tight hold on her, he pulled her through the window and into his room.

"Careful," he murmured, helping her she was safely on the floor of his room. He closed his window and stepped down the platform onto the floor. Merlin stood in front of the small girl, staring at her, trying to think of something to say other than… "Where have you _been_?"

Laila was silent. Her dress was torn and when Merlin got a good look at her eyes, they appeared swollen and red. "Laila… have you been crying?"

"No," she lied. "I just…"

"What's happened? Did Agravaine do something to you?"

Laila looked shocked. "Gods, no! Couldn't if he tried."

"Well that's reassuring. Where were you, then?" When she didn't respond, he became patient. And then all of a sudden, Merlin was angry. He took her by her shoulders and pulled her forward. "Why didn't you listen to me? Why did you just run off when I told you to stay put? You should've gone with Gwen to the tr- oh, oh Laila, no, don't cry…"

He half-expected the girl to fight him, tell him not to make a big deal about such things and fret over her so much. Instead, it was like she crumbled in his grasp, tears bursting from her eyes. "Laila… stop, I didn't mean to yell, I was just…"

"Don't blame yourself for anything, I deserve it," she whimpered, covering her eyes and turning around, not letting him see her cry. "I was careless… hell, I've been careless since this all began, I wasn't even thinking…"

"What?" Merlin frowned, reaching out to turn her to face him. "Laila, again, this is one of those times where I don't understand what you're saying."

She looked at him in an almost helpless way. "I've messed up, Merlin. Terribly so. I've been awful to you, this whole time…."

"What the hell- Laila, what's happened?" Merlin demanded, "Why are you saying that? Did someone hurt you?"

"No, nothing like that, honestly." Laila wanted to look away but he didn't let her.

"Why are you saying you've messed up? What did you do?" he asked, feeling dread wash over him. Whatever was coming next, he'd be crazy to think it wasn't bad.

"I told you I wouldn't let you down… but I have," the girl said in a low whisper. "I have, worse than you can imagine."

Merlin was puzzled. "Laila… leaving the city when I told you not to is hardly worth crying over. Is that what you're upset about?" She didn't respond but the girl had been a sensitive person from the start and scaring him like that mixed with what happened in the lower town had to have frightened her. It must have been the reason.

"There's nothing to be upset about," he said gently, pulling her into his arms, comforting her. "Really now, a strong girl like you crying because you didn't listen to me? I was expecting you magically tossing another random object at my head."

Laila choked out a laugh, wrapping her arms around him tightly as if someone was going to take her away from him. "That was my second instinct, yes… I was just scared. I couldn't… I didn't know what else to do…"

"Shh, it's okay," Merlin hushed, rubbing her back, "You're here, that's all that matters."

They stayed like that for a few moments before she said something else in a barely audible voice. "I need you."

Merlin wasn't sure he heard her correctly. He loosened his arms around her to look down at her. "What?"

"I said I need you," Laila repeated, lifting a hand to wipe her eyes. "Right now. I just need you so badly." She kissed him then, standing up on her tiptoes, clinging to his shirt with both hands. He was caught off-guard but it didn't take long before he was kissing her back, pressing her to him as if holding on for dear life. When he felt himself being pushed back onto his bed and their lips connecting once more, Merlin was sure of a few things: one, his dreams were literally becoming reality. Two, the one thing he had given up on since he had lost both Freya and Morgana was alive after all. And three, everything Laila was doing- every move, every touch, every kiss- felt so unbelievably, excruciatingly _good_.

It was a spontaneous move and normally, Merlin wanted to be sensible before jumping into things right after worrying about one thing. But what did it matter? Laila was here, safe- she hadn't left him at all. And Gods knew after all that had happened, after all the dreams he'd been having (especially tonight's), how badly he needed her as well.

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><p><strong>AN: Ah yes, love is in the air tonight. Though I'm not sure if this chapter was pleasing or infuriating. Depends on if you're a Mergana fan or not. But I will say this, it was necessary. And the story is far from over, readers. So if some of you aren't happy now, then you will be by the end of it. **

**Make sure to review! I have a lot of exciting things coming up and it will all be updated much faster with your feedback! Good or bad, I listen to what you have to say (if I haven't made that clear). Cheers!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**A/N: Your reviews last chapter made me so happy, I'm giving you this next one earlier than planned as a special treat. Enjoy!**

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><p>It was deep into the night and neither of the two were tired. Not after what had just happened.<p>

"I don't know what just happened," Merlin breathed, still in a daze, sitting up against the pillow. Next to him, in the cramped space of his small bed, Laila had laid on her side, propping herself up on one elbow to get a good look at him. Most men who had taken her made sure to let her know who had the upper hand, whether through words or actions. But Merlin was, to put it one way, new to all of this. It was both sweet and strange at the same time.

"And I don't know if that's good or bad," she whispered, wrapped in his bed sheets yet still feeling chilled from the night. Laila had made a few mistakes tonight- she had yelled at Morgana, a witch much more powerful than her and capable of cutting her into pieces. She ran off when Merlin told her not to, scaring him shitless. And when the girl rode back to Camelot, she cried her eyes out in the stalls of the horses just below the king's window instead of making it known she was safe. Despite how good it felt to hand the truth to someone, Laila felt terrible. Who was she to tell Morgana to cut the act and admit how she truly felt for Merlin? Since when was it the job of a whore from a hated city to tell a woman of Morgana's power that everything she was doing was wrong?

"No, I meant it in a good way," Merlin said, turning his head to look at her. It was a cold night, but he was still sweating. "Rather unexpected as well."

"It's healthy to be spontaneous every now and then." He smiled at the casualness of her tone. At least she wasn't freaked out by his lack of "creativity". It was a word he had picked up from Gwaine but he wasn't going to mention it out loud.

"You're telling me you've never done this before?" Laila asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Never said I was proud," Merlin defended himself. She chuckled, reaching to take his hand. "Oh please, you've nothing to be ashamed of. Wouldn't you have rather it be something special than just another act?"

"Most days, yes. And others, not so much. Because those are the days Arthur and the other knights pick on me for never having gone any further with a girl."

"Well, they can't say anything now, can they?"

Merlin looked at her confusedly. "You're not just going to go boast about it, are you?"

Laila chuckled again. "No. But eventually, they'll figure it out. I hear men just _radiate_ the words, 'I lost my virginity' after their first time."

Merlin widened his eyes at her. "Please don't tell me you've been hanging around Gwaine again."

"He's practically the only knight with a personality that doesn't revolve around dedication to Arthur," Laila shrugged, making her point.

"He is… a piece of work," Merlin finished his sentence. The girl laughed quietly and the warlock leaned down to kiss her. It wasn't anything eager; just something perfectly innocent and exhausted. She broke away reluctantly. "I should go. I have to find Gwen in case she's going out of her mind in worry."

"She's in the castle," Merlin said, face still inches away from hers, "Her house is currently not the most stable place to sleep in at the moment."

"I saw…" Laila silently cursed Agravaine for stealing her away to Morgana at a desperate time in Camelot. But she couldn't curse either of them without doing so to herself; after all, she played a big role in this scheme. "I didn't want to just stroll into the castle. I'd get questioned nonstop and Arthur would most likely not let me see you."

"He could damn well try," the servant muttered, "I have to ask, how the hell did you get up here without falling?"

Laila's lips curved into a smile. "I didn't tell you? I'm skilled at climbing up and down castles."

Merlin shook his head in amazement. "Since when?"

"Since… a while." _Since I was a young little whore and Rheon Kanark's plaything._

"You never cease to surprise me, Laila." Merlin brushed a thumb against her cheek, feeling conveniently warm against her cool skin. She continued to smile at him, no matter how cautious she felt now with picking her words. Villages didn't have castles and she wasn't supposed to be from a city where there was a castle. _Stick to your story, girl. You've already yelled at Morgana, don't foil her plans._

"You don't have to leave, you know," Merlin whispered, "You could stay here. I'll tell Gaius some twisted up story of how you got here and feed it to Arthur as well. Just don't leave me now."

She breathed out a sigh. His tone was so hopeful and sweet, it was breaking her heart. "I don't want to. I've caused enough trouble for you and I don't want Arthur starting in on-"

"I don't care what Arthur says," Merlin interrupted, sounding firm, "He knows what's going on, everyone does. They're just waiting for us to say it to them. And I want to. I want you, every day, like this or- similar. I want it to be clear what we are, and I won't care what anyone says about it. No one can have anything against it."

_No one except for Morgana_. Laila swallowed back those words stuck in her throat. "That's quite a statement to make, Merlin."

"And I mean it," he said quietly, clasping her hand in his. "Do you believe me? Everything I said?"

"I do, but… there are things that could get in the way," Laila confessed, immediately regretting what she just said.

"What things?" Merlin raised an eyebrow, "What would get in the way?"

_Your question should be who, not what. _"I can't say, but… people can be cruel, Merlin. They would do anything to not see two people together."

"I can't think of anyone who's cruel enough," Merlin cut in promptly, "Arthur has Gwen, Gwaine doesn't want a serious relationship, it's been hinted the rest of the knights have their own lady friends… is there anyone from your side that you know of?"

_Oh, nobody special. Just an evil witch who can't fucking come to terms with her feelings for you so she sends me to break your heart the way you broke hers. _"No… but what if in the future, there is?"

"Why should we care?" Merlin asked and she was silent after that. He drew her head towards his and pressed his forehead against hers. "You're the last person I expect to care what anyone else thinks of you or us. If anyone tries to hurt you or break us apart… they'll regret it. I promise you that."

He was looking at her, but she kept her eyes down, not wanting to meet his. It was painful enough, hearing what he had to say. Another thing, knowing he believed so much in them. "Can't we just run away?" she whispered, the idea sounding better in her head.

Merlin slowly moved his head away from her to look at her directly. "Run away? From Camelot?"

Laila nodded, eyeing the confused look in his eyes. "And go where?"

"Anywhere. Anywhere but here, where no one can find us." Not Morgana. Especially not Morgana. "Because I agree with everything you've said. I want you too, and I want more days like this. You're the only man I've ever had feelings for and though it's not the same with you, I trust you when you say you have feelings for me too."

"I lie about my magic and who I truly am, but emotions are something I can't lie about," the warlock admitted. "But we can't just leave, Laila. We have our places here in Camelot, not out there where no one knows where we are."

Laila felt herself fade. "You have a place here, Merlin. I don't. I never did."

"Your place is with me," Merlin insisted. "Wherever I am."

"I don't have a place in Camelot," she said flatly, "Not even alongside you."

Merlin's eyes narrowed and he shied away from her. "I don't understand. Why are you saying this?"

"I'm saying my place is not in Camelot, even if you are here." Laila sighed and sat up, looking away from Merlin and out the window. It was dark in the room and she was grateful for that. In case she started getting emotional again, he wouldn't see her tears. "You could never understand."

Merlin was observing her, she felt it. He was staring at her bare back, figuring what he could say to her. She was being difficult as always, but she was also stating a truth; Laila had never belonged to Camelot. It started feeling like home because of Merlin. But she couldn't stay with him. Her true side to stay on was Morgana's and she was starting to doubt that too.

"I want to understand," Merlin murmured, "Yet you won't say anything. You've always been so secretive, and I try so hard to get you to trust me."

"I just can't be here," Laila said shakily, "I don't belong here. And neither do you." She turned her head to look at his unreadable expression. "Do you realize what you are? How powerful you are? You are working so hard towards another's destiny yet you won't even focus on yours."

Merlin was starting to look angry. "I share my destiny with Arthur. He's going to be a great king and I…"

"Will remain his lowly manservant," Laila finished, surprised by the harshness in her voice. "Why is it that men who were once peasants and wanderers became knights? Or that Gwen, a maid of the royal household, will very likely be Arthur's queen? When will you ever be rewarded for how much you do for Arthur?"

The warlock was speechless. It was as if he never thought of it that way. "What makes you think I'll stay his manservant? Maybe I will be rewarded. You'll never know, won't you? You don't know what the future is like, stop acting like you do."

Laila's face flushed in anger. "As a matter of fact, Merlin, I'll know about the future long before you do. Maybe I forgot to mention this to you, but I'm a goddamn Seer." Whipping the sheets back, the girl stood up, no longer feeling cold in her bare body. She grabbed her dress which had been carelessly tossed aside on the floor and hastily shoved it on. Behind her, she heard the bed creak as Merlin got up. "Don't bother," she muttered, without turning around, "I'm leaving."

"Hang on," Merlin said, keeping his voice barely above a whisper. It was a wonder how Gaius hadn't heard them this whole time. Laila walked towards the window when she felt Merlin turn her around to face him. He had barely managed to shove his trousers back on. "You're a _Seer_?"

"Yes, Merlin, yes I am."

He looked at her incredulously. "When were you going to tell me? When it was good and convenient for you?" Merlin began to mimic her tone, "'Oh, by the way, Merlin, I get visions of the future. I figured it might be important for you to know'. How much of anything that has happened have you seen already?"

Laila took a second to think. "To be honest, only when you found me in the forest. And something random, like me walking down the corridors of the castle. I haven't had a vision in forever."

"You… you knew I was going to find you in the forest?" Merlin asked, in a daze.

"I didn't know it was you," Laila explained, "Just that when I opened my eyes, I saw that someone had found me and it turned out to be you. But I swear, I haven't had any other visions. I've had so many in the past, yet not so much now. It's like they're most potent when I'm stressed or… in danger."

Merlin's face was more unreadable than before. This made Laila nervous. Usually, she could read the man like an open book, same way she could for everyone else. This time, she had no way of telling what he would do next, no way of preparing for it.

"Laila," he started, sounding hurt, "Why didn't you tell me?"

She bit her lip, positive her eyes would overflow any second. "I just… I didn't want to reveal so much about myself. I wasn't even going to tell you about my magic but then that day, it was accidentally shown to you. I'm so sorry, Merlin, I should've told you…"

The warlock didn't reply, just continued staring at her, causing her to wish she could take the conversation from the last fifteen minutes or so and just get rid of it.

"What else?" Merlin asked, sounding like he was trying to stay controlled, "What else are you keeping from me?"

Laila's lip quivered and her eyes began to blur with tears, not daring to speak another word. He sucked in a deep breath and covered his face. "Shit, why am I even asking? You won't tell me." He turned his back to her, shaking his head. She took a step forward, "Merlin-"

"Who are you?" Merlin suddenly yelled, whipping around, and grabbing Laila once again, "Who the _fuck_ are you?"

"Merlin!" Laila gasped. He was yelling loudly and Gaius wasn't deaf enough to not hear that. They heard footsteps and Merlin reached over to lock his door before strengthening his grip on her arms. "Answer me, Laila."

The girl was shaking uncontrollably. "I d-don't know what to s-"

"Stop keeping things from me, for one thing!" Merlin snapped. "Why is it that you never tell me anything about you? Why do you insist on hiding everything from me? This isn't how a relationship is supposed to work! Stop pretending, you're not Morgana and you never will be!"

Laila felt like she had just been slapped. She widened her eyes at what him and the knocking on his door sounded distant in her ears. Gaius was now shouting Merlin's name. "What is going on?"

The servant ignored him. "Why do you want us to run away?" he demanded to know, "Why? Who's going to hurt us, Laila? Tell me, right now, or I swear I will force it out of you. You are not going to get away from me this time."

"_Stupid girl," Rheon drawled, hitting her once again. She shrieked, trying to crawl away from him but he grabbed her hair and pulled her back, sending an intense pain through her scalp. "Think you're so strong, trying to run away from here."_

"_Let me go," she pleaded, "Please, I won't run away-"_

"_The hell you won't. You are not going to get away from me this time."_

She was going mad, she was sure of it. All of this, what just happened, Morgana's orders, Merlin's feelings, her secrets…

"Laila? _Laila_!"

"Get off me!" she yelled, yanking herself away from him, her eyes flashing a brilliant gold. Swiftly, Merlin was thrown back, his hands releasing her arms and banging into the next wall. The breath was knocked out of him and Laila didn't waste a moment to contemplate what she had just done. Instead, she escaped. Out the window, the same way she had come in.

Laila climbed down the castle so fast, she was sure at some point, she'd slip and fall to her death. Thankfully, she hadn't lost her skill and made it to the ground safely. Not bothering to check and see if any guards saw her, the girl ran. Oh, did she run. Out of the citadel, away from the lower town, and into the forest. Away from Camelot. She ran until her legs were screaming at her to stop.

And eventually she did. On a bed of leaves.

Laila was breathing so hard, she thought her lungs might give out. Everything had happened so fast, she wasn't sure what to think, how to react, what to feel. First, she made love to Merlin, that wasn't easily forgotten. Next, they were just talking, no big deal. Suddenly it turned serious and she started remembering horrible memories and Merlin compared her to Morgana and…

The girl curled up on the leaves, crying again. She was so awful; all these months she spent lying to Merlin, playing the role of innocent village girl the way Morgana played her role of king's loving ward. Laila was practically the new Morgana now in his eyes only it was ten times worse because it proved her right; she was just a replacement. A pathetic one, at that. She wasn't even strong like Morgana.

_Damn you, stupid girl, damn you_, she scolded herself, swallowing to keep herself from retching all over the bed of leaves. How many mistakes was Laila going to make tonight before she gave herself a good kick and fixed things? There was no going back to Camelot now. If Merlin even forgave her, he would still ask to be truthful and that would lead her right back to where she was now; running away.

"Where do I go now?" she asked out loud, humoring herself with the idea that the wind would tell her. It came to her in an instant; Morgana. The woman who put her in this position in the first place. Who warned her about Merlin, told her that what they had wasn't real. That Merlin would always choose Arthur first, that his future with the king was much more important. _Is that why you hide your feelings, Morgana? _Laila thought, _Are you afraid you no longer have your place in Merlin's life as you used to?_ She didn't know how to answer her own questions. Nothing was certain to her anymore, not even Merlin. Laila had panicked and ran off, the only thing she knew how to do in times like this.

Ignoring the ache in her legs, Laila picked herself up and began walking down a path she had memorized. She still felt nauseous and a bit dizzy but she went ahead anyway, not wanting to get stuck in the woods where God knew what creatures lurked in the dark corners. The girl still did not know where her place was but she did now know that it was not where she used to think it was; it wasn't her place to take. Morgana didn't want to take it and she couldn't if she wanted to. The witch was her last chance of ever finding somewhere she belonged.

_First things first_, she decided, _I have to apologize_.

* * *

><p><em>Lady Morgana,<em>

_The fires were successful. Our men had retreated just before anyone appeared to put them out. I can safely confirm with confidence that they will be treated as an accident, not an enemy attack. It is our hope that it was sufficient enough to distract King Arthur before our plans are set into full motion._

_We are heading back to Cervena tomorrow morning. Our training is nearly compete. My brothers and I expect your company three days at the most before we ride to Camelot to usurp the Pendragon king. _

_-Lord Jon Kanark of Cervena_

Morgana read the note once again before folding it neatly and setting it on her table. The Kanark's army had shacked up at an inn nearby and a messenger of theirs delivered a letter to her hovel. She had been napping on her chair, dreaming the same strange dreams when a knock came at her door. Raising her dagger, Morgana opened it to find the messenger boy with a note in hand. He traveled late in the night so as to not be seized by knights in the area. _Smart of him to do so_, the witch had thought. She suspected it had not been hard to find; how many hovels were there in the forest to mistake another's for hers?

The message pleased her; everything was going according to her schemes and nothing made her happier than a job well done. But there was still much to do, and she had cooked up something new in her head after just hearing news of a future engagement; Arthur wished to make Guinevere is queen. And Morgana was not going to let that happen.

A year before, when Morgana was still the beloved ward to Uther, she had seen a vision; one where Gwen sat alongside Arthur, wearing the jeweled crown that rightfully belonged to her, smiling triumphantly at the royal court. It would give Morgana no greater pleasure than to see that look on her old maid's face wiped out. The lowly serving girl sat upon _her_ throne and she knew it. So did Arthur and Merlin and Gaius and every other goddamn member of the stupid household. Morgana was going to make sure this never left their simple minds.

Morgana had resumed sleeping on her chair, too tired to get up and maneuver over to her bed. At the crack of dawn, she was woken up by the sound of knocking on her door. Morgana opened her eyes and reached for the dagger. Whoever it was better have had a good reason for pulling her out of her sleep. Gripping the dagger tightly, Morgana used her other hand to throw open her door. She nearly dropped her weapon when her eyes fell upon the small figure of Laila, dress torn and frayed, bruises adorning her body once again, shaking from the icy chill of the morning. She looked the same way she did when Morgana found her; bruised, broken, and lost.

"I made a mistake," the girl said, barely audible, "I can't do it. I can't be you. Please… please, forgive me."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Honestly, this just came to me and I had to write it down. I was so excited about it, I didn't even take the time to think if it was too sudden or not. But I realized I'm drawing out the Mergana action too much and decided to speed up the process of actually getting into it. **

**Your reviews made me chuckle because it looks like Laila is infuriating some of you. I'm going to be honest, if all of you liked her, that would mean I'm doing something wrong. She's not supposed to be the OC everyone falls in love with, though I love all my OCs. So this just tells me I'm doing my job. **

**Please review! We've yet to get into what happens when Morgana brings Lancelot back to life, and if she'll send Laila back to Camelot or not. And what in the world is Merlin going to do, now that both of the women he's ever loved have let him down? Also, your reviews are giving me more ideas. Cheers, dear readers!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"We've spent all night last night looking for her and she was nowhere to be found," Arthur announced, carefully enunciating each word to make his sentence clear and well-heard. Merlin did not reply. He silently continued to make the king's bed, pulling the spread over the pillows and tucking them in. Arthur's eyes followed his every move, neglecting his breakfast. "I stayed up most of the night, waiting for their reports. Agravaine returned but Laila is still missing."

Again, not even a shrug. Normally Arthur reveled in the quiet environment, especially after spending the morning with Merlin. But his servant seemed to have lost his ability to speak. "Agravaine claims he rode out of Camelot to find the source of the magic. Even he insists it was an accident. So you were right, his actions are suspicious."

Merlin showed a small hint of a nod before going to Arthur's armor. The king crinkled his eyebrow in confusion. "I did not ask you to polish my armor."

"Yeah, but you will sooner or later," the boy muttered, going to work right away. It was obvious by his attitude that he had woken up on the wrong side of the bed and Arthur talking was only worsening his mood.

"You don't have to," he tried, "I've got a lot of matters to settle with the lower town burnings and all. I won't be training or hunting or anything like that today."

"Doesn't mean you won't ask me in the future." Merlin kept his head down, polishing with the cloth as if it was the most entertaining activity in the world, when in truth, it was his least favorite.

"Merlin, I know you're upset," Arthur spoke, not taking a bite of his food, "But we're not giving. We'll find Laila, you'll see."

"What makes you think she wants to be found?" The servant's indifferent response only confused him more. What had gotten into him today? Just yesterday he talked back to his own master and insulted his uncle to find Laila and now, it was like he stopped caring.

"Because I believe that no one wants to be lost in the woods or run away from so great a city as Camelot?" Arthur quipped sarcastically. "Are you doubting my men, Merlin? Is that it? You don't think they can find your lady friend?"

Merlin's spine stiffened. "Even if you did…" his voice trailed off. "Never mind."

"I do mind, as a matter of fact," Arthur said promptly, pouncing on the opportunity. He reached for the bread on his plate and ripped off a piece. "Share, please. I'm in the mood for some bonding."

Merlin put down the cloth. "You're right, I should polish this another time. Is there anything else you require, my lord?"

"Yes, that would be you spilling whatever's on your mind to me and firstly allowing me to make fun of you before finding it in my heart to help you," Arthur smirked, popping the bread into his mouth. "And _that_ is an order."

"An order I'm unfortunately going to pass up on," Merlin decided, standing up and heading for the chamber doors. The king wasn't going to let him go easy. He was nosy and felt the need to know the most important details of his servant. He halted him. "Stop. Now."

The servant paused, turned around slowly, and pressed his lips together before saying, "Yes… sire?"

Arthur swallowed another bite of bread before speaking. "Merlin, we both know I'm always blatantly honest with you." He placed his elbows on the table and pressed the tips of his fingers together.

"Only when you choose to be which is close to never," Merlin snipped, crossing his arms. "Or whenever I annoy the hell out of you."

"Let's go with when it's convenient for me," Arthur teased, "I don't often say it for the world to hear, but you are a friend of mine and it's something of a concern to me when you act this way."

"I'm not acting any certain way."

"And I'm a High Priestess of the Old Religion," the king rolled his eyes, "I seem to recall that you were practically ready to mud-wrestle me yesterday into sending all my men to find a girl. I also think I remember you being just a little bit worried about Laila's whereabouts. Then again, I could be wrong." Arthur sat back in his chair, getting comfortable. This would prove to be a rather interesting start to an otherwise boring day planned for him.

Merlin turned red. "I was not about to mud-wrestle you…"

"Stop straying from the topic!" Arthur threw his hands up. "What happened that so drastically changed your mind? Wait, don't tell me. You walked into your room to find a note on your bed from Laila herself." Arthur began to mimic Laila's voice as best as he could. "'Dear Merlin, I love you so much, it's killing me. I can't be with you anymore. Love you forever and always, your dearest Laila'."

The boy looked about ready to shove Arthur's armor up his behind. "No, I found no note," he snapped, looking more angry and not the least bit humored. "For once, just listen to me and fucking leave it alone!"

Arthur looked taken aback. Did Merlin just curse at him? "Since when do you use the word, 'fucking'? Oh wait… Merlin, are you still a virgin? Is that it, she hasn't taken you yet?"

"For God's sake!" Merlin yelled, his voice rising several octaves, "That is all you can deduce from my mood? Are you so daft to think that I would be angry over something as stupid and overrated as that? Of course you would, you and the knights probably had one hell of a laugh over how inexperienced your simple-minded servant is."

The prince's mouth dropped. "Wha… I… _Did you just call me daft_?"

"Never mind," Merlin groaned, turning back to the chamber doors, "I wouldn't waste my time discussing it with you anyway. You wouldn't understand if you switched roles with me." Before he left, he shot Arthur a blue-eyed glare. "And for your information, _I am not a virgin_!" The doors slammed loudly behind him, practically shaking the room.

Arthur sat in his chair, mouth hanging open in shock. Anytime Merlin spoke to him like that, the king made sure it did not go unpunished- he was a good friend, but he had no right to raise his voice to his master. Or call him daft. Or think that confiding in him was considered a waste of time. Arthur would have continued the list but he realized he was making this about himself when it was actually about Merlin. He told himself to circle back to it later, when the servant had cooled off. Arthur finished his breakfast alone, choosing to be kinder to Merlin and giving him the day off.

And a good thing he did. Merlin didn't show up once the rest of the day. And what a day he chose to be in a shit mood, one of Arthur's busiest days. His whole morning was spent on discussions over rebuilding the lower town, including Guinevere's home (though he had planned to propose to her in a few days, he would have to put it off), then afterwards he had to sit in a trial (more stolen bread), hear a report from Sir Leon (no sign of outsiders being the cause of the fires), and all the small things went along, such as bathing and eating and changing. Gwen had been around to help as much as she could. But Arthur found he was missing his manservant's presence and he saw that Merlin was making himself rather scarce. When he asked Gaius at council where he was, the court physician's answer was vague; _he's not feeling well today._ The king didn't blame him; he wouldn't feel like himself if Guinevere was missing.

The loneliness got to him as he sat down for dinner in the evening. Arthur was exhausted from his day, making do without Merlin's help. He had given him all day and no sign of him. _Perhaps I have gone too far_, Arthur thought to himself, _I tell him frequently never to speak of my feelings for Guinevere but I delved too deep into his personal life, and it's even worse that Laila is not here._ Leaving his meal untouched, Arthur rose from his chair and left for Gaius's chambers. Merlin couldn't hide away from him for too long.

Merely out of courtesy, Arthur knocked twice before opening the door to the physician's room of the castle. He stuck his blond head in to see the old man sitting by himself at his table, eating his dinner. Gaius put down his spoon and stood up to greet him. "My lord," he bowed his head quickly.

"Is Merlin here?" Arthur got straight to the point. Gaius directed his head to the room upstairs. "Been up in his room all day. Stormed in here, muttering something about an '_insensitive clotpole, can't keep his running mouth shut'_."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Oh, has he?"

"Pardon me, sire, but I can't really blame him for being angry," Gaius said, "Things took a turn for the worst last night and he's been a wreck since."

The king softened. "Well, you're not wrong there. He was in a terrible mood this morning… Gaius, what's happened?"

The old physician shifted in his spot. "I think it best that he tell you himself." He gestured upstairs and gave the king a look. Arthur sighed; this was the one thing he didn't want to do. He wasn't a fan of apologizing but everyone in the castle would make him do it and particularly Gwen would kill him if ever she found out that he'd been a bit of a jerk to Merlin at a time like this. Laila was her friend too.

"It's only right," he shrugged. "Thank you, Gaius." He walked past the old man and up the stairs. He knocked loudly on Merlin's door. "Merlin! It's me, open up!"

No answer. Arthur knocked again. "_Merlin_! You've already ignored one order, don't make it two!"

"Go away," came Merlin's voice, muffled through the door. "I don't want to hear it."

Arthur huffed. "Merlin, if you don't open this door on the count of three, I will break it down, grab you, and shove you into Gaius's leech tank." He heard the old man chuckle, mentioning something about Merlin hating the task of cleaning out the leech tank. But the servant didn't say anything.

"You asked for it!" Arthur threatened, "One…" No response.

"Two…" Nothing.

"Two and a half… Gaius, hand that tank over…"

The door flew open and an a very angry Merlin glared at the king. "There, I opened the door!" he exclaimed, "Happy now?"

"Very," Arthur smirked, Gaius laughing downstairs. He followed Merlin into his small room, closing the door behind him. Merlin kicked something under his bed before facing his master. "What do you want, Arthur?"

The king surveyed his room before laying his eyes on Merlin. "I came here to… apologize for my lack of tact earlier today."

Merlin snorted. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really." Arthur clenched his teeth. Did Merlin not realize it was hard enough that he was apologizing? He didn't have to milk it so much. It was then he spotted something else on the other man. "Merlin, is that a bump on your head?"

The servant widened his eyes and touched the back of his head. "Yeah, I… banged it someplace before you came," he mumbled, not looking at Arthur directly. _I'll just add that to the list of lies you've told me today, buddy. _

"Looks like it's been there a while," Arthur commented, "So may I ask, what have you been doing all day, besides shirking your responsibilities as my manservant?"

"Nothing," Merlin replied, sitting on his bed and rubbing the bump.

"I can see that." Arthur rolled his eyes. "If this is about the comments I made this morning, then okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't actually try to figure out what was wrong and I'm sorry I made fun of your relationship with Laila. Which, by the way, you still have to explain to me, because it's gone a lot further than I presumed."

"It's alright, Arthur," Merlin sighed, "It was upsetting for a few minutes then I got over it."

"Then why have you been avoiding me all day?" Arthur pushed forward, "If this is about her being lost then I assure you, I have not given up on finding her."

Merlin was quiet, not looking at his friend. Arthur sensed there was more and wasn't going to be fragile with him this time; he was going to pester until he found out. That's how he fixed things. "You mentioned earlier that Laila would not want to be found. Care to explain your reasons for saying that?"

He stared at Merlin, waiting for an explanation. Finally, the boy spoke. "I don't think she feels for me the way I do for her."

"Why would you say that? I've seen you two, you're both obviously crazy about each other."

"Then why run away?" Merlin asked quietly, "Why leave me? There must be a reason why, something she's not telling me." He lifted his head to look up at Arthur, his eyes wet and shining. "I said yesterday Agravaine had done something to her. I was a fool to say that. Nothing has happened to Laila, she hasn't been stolen- she ran away, willingly."

Merlin's sudden vulnerability made Arthur feel a little awkward- it was not often he had to comfort someone, even a close friend. "It is- plausible. But isn't it better to believe the best in the person you love rather than think they've dumped you?"

Similar to the morning, Merlin shot up from his seat on the bed and threw his hands up. "What makes you think she loves me in return?" he shouted, his pent-up rage flowing freely, "Of course you're quick to think the best in her, you already have someone who loves you and you know it!"

Arthur exhaled sharply. "Merlin-"

"She never said those words to me," Merlin interrupted, his tone dropping, his voice quivering, "She never told me loves me. I've never had the chance to confess how I feel and for so long, I thought that was my mistake. But even confessing is a mistake- the outcome is always the same. The girl just- just…" His voice broke and he looked away, hiding his glassy eyes from the king.

Arthur had never seen Merlin so incredibly emotional before. It was stirring something up in him and felt so bad for his friend, he could've cried if he truly let himself go. "You've spent all night contemplating this? All of that changed your mind? The possibility that she ran away because she does not love you?"

Merlin cleared his throat and looked at him. "She was here last night."

The king raised both eyebrows. "Was she? And yet she is still missing?"

"I told you, she ran away," Merlin said, tipping his head back and breathing out a sigh, "That's what explains the bump."

"She hit you?"

"Pushed me into the wall."

"That hard?"

Merlin paused. "She's stronger than she looks."

"Could've fooled me," Arthur shook his head. Merlin sat back down on his bed. "Do you remember when you told me that no man is worth your tears?"

Arthur nodded, but he wasn't exactly following. "I do indeed. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"What about a woman?" the servant asked silently, "Is no woman worth your tears?"

The king had his arms crossed and when Merlin said this, he let his arms free. He had been told before many times that no man was worth his tears; but what to say in the case of a woman, he did not know. What he did know was that if he had lost Guinevere… she would be worth his tears. Arthur went and saw next to Merlin on his bed. "The only people who are worth your tears are those that you would die for. Those you care about more than anything. And, Merlin… I have shed tears for those people."

"You're stronger in that sense," Merlin mumbled.

"Even the strongest man sheds tears for the woman he loves," Arthur told him.

"What do I do?" the servant asked miserably, "Do I just give up? Let her go?" He looked to his master, lost. "I love her, Arthur. I can't let her run away from me. I _won't_ let her run away from me."

As Arthur stared at his friend, he saw how much had changed in Merlin. He was no longer the reckless, idiot boy he threatened to chop the knees off of the first day they met- he had grown up, matured into a man that put others before himself. Who loved, and wanted to be loved back. In the years that Arthur had gotten to know him, he saw for himself that there was more to Merlin than just what he let show.

Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, he promised, "And neither will I. We will find her, Merlin. We'll bring her home. I won't let this one escape from you."

Merlin jerked his head up. A smile played on the corners of Arthur's mouth, despite what he was talking about. Really now, did his manservant think that _too much_ had escaped the king in the past years? Arthur was a lot more observant than that.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I wouldn't call this a filler; it **_**is **_**kind of important to see how Merlin took Laila's escape, don't you think? But the coming chapters are going to be much more entertaining, more so than this. Besides, some humor is needed to balance out the otherwise dramatic aspects of the story.**

**After this, we're going back to Morgana and Laila. And readers... I can only warn you, it's going to get rather dark from here. One of you, I won't say who to keep you guessing, gave me ideas.**

**** I haven't forgotten about you, Mergana shippers. **If you find yourself losing hope, turn to the story summary. I recently added a little something to the end, in case you've become skeptical. And I always keep my word. Read, review, and stay patient. Cheers. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"I don't know what to say," Morgana said quietly, using a cloth and a special liquid to wipe the deep cut just above Laila's left eyebrow. The girl didn't wince even though the substance was supposed to sting. Morgana wasn't sure what to make of Laila suddenly appearing at her door, asking to forgive her for the way she spoken to her. On one hand, it felt flattering and reassuring to know the girl had not switched sides. On the other, the witch herself felt a bit guilty for making Laila regret stating the simple truth.

"If you're angry with me, just say so," she sighed, tilting her head back a little to give the woman better access.

"I should be," Morgana said, "But I find I'm not as quick to anger as I used to be, particularly with you."

"I don't know if this is you pitying me or a personality change in you," Laila replied, "To be honest, I prefer the second one."

"A mix of both." Morgana finished cleaning the wound then pressed the cloth over it, muttering a fast healing spell. A second later, all that was left of the bloody gash was a bright red line. "There, you're done."

Laila straightened her neck and murmured a silent thanks in return. She touched the scar with the tips of her fingers, inspecting it. Morgana started a new fire, her eyes flashing gold, her lips uttering the spell. "_Fýrcynn_." A bright red flame crackled among the dying firewood, bursting the life, warming up the hovel instantly. She joined Laila at the table, finding it darkly amusing that her day had started and the sun hadn't even fully risen yet.

"What's this you were saying about not being able to be me?" she began, crossing one leg over the other and placing her hands on her lap. "I did not ask you to be me. Were you trying to?"

"Not exactly," the girl muttered, looking like she wanted to avoid this conversation even though it was clearly inevitable. "But you wanted me to be."

Morgana's eyes sparked in curiosity. "I'm afraid I don't quite follow."

"You asked me to go to Camelot and 'provide a distraction' for Merlin," Laila began, adding air quotes as she was using the witch's words, "Which loosely translates to either one of two things; continue to be a whore and let him do whatever he pleases with me or make him fall in love with me. It was pretty clear which you would want me to do."

"And you did, didn't you?" Morgana interrupted, cocking her head to the other side, "You with your girlish charms, had him wrapped tightly around your finger."

"I only did as you asked," Laila snapped.

"In your own way. You're very much a part of this as I am. We're not so different, don't you pretend otherwise," Morgana said firmly.

"Well, we're not," Laila admitted, "We're not that different at all, as a matter of fact. Which is why I ran away- I didn't want it to end up the same way it did with you."

"Again, I don't follow." _Liar._ _You're following along quite nicely. You know what she's getting at, you just want to hear her say it out loud so you can deny it without coming off suspicious._

"I can't do it, Morgana," Laila decided, sitting up in her seat, "I can't betray him in the end. I've already made a mountain of lies and he laps them up so easily, I sleep with knots in my stomach over how guilty I feel. Merlin is the very last person in that city that I want to hurt and no one, not even your threats or your promises can make me change my mind."

Morgana stayed absolutely calm, even though anger was starting to burn up inside her. "You're not sorry at all, are you?"

"I am sorry, but not for the reasons you thought I was," the girl replied simply, "I'm sorry I got in too deep to realize I can't do what you ask of me anymore. I'm sorry you thought I was capable of causing someone so much pain and confusion over how fickle and secretive I am. But I'll tell you what I won't apologize for, and that is for being right. For telling you the truth, and nothing but the damn truth."

"And what truth is that?" Morgana's voice was deadly steady and Laila should have been afraid, yet she wasn't.

"That you're not over Merlin and the only reason you won't admit is because you're a coward." The slap came down fast, a lot more rapid than either of the two thought. Morgana's cold hand was razor sharp against Laila's skin and the sound of it vibrated off the walls of the hovel. Morgana had done it so suddenly, kicked away from her chair in a mere nanosecond and was upon the girl before even she could realize what she had done. When she finally did, a small gasp escaped her parted lips.

Laila was shaking, her hand over the cheek Morgana had attacked with her palm. When she slowly turned her head back and removed her hand, the witch could see the bright red mark her hand left. The witch bit her lip, instantly regretting it. The girl's lip quivered a bit but it stopped and she collected herself. "I'll wear this one proudly. Matches the scar."

"You're a complete _fool_," Morgana hissed, leaning her face in inches away from Laila's, "You've barely a grip on your magic, your past is shameful, you sleep on a bed of lies, and yet you sit there, thinking you've any right to speak to me in that way. I gave you the opportunity for a new life, I gave you a new home, new friends… _I gave you Merlin_. And you throw it back in my face? You are such an ungrateful, selfish _brat_."

The smirk on Laila's face infuriated Morgana so much, it took what little sympathy she had left for the girl to keep her from smacking her again. "I sleep on a bed of lies but you're the one who makes the bed, _my lady_."

Morgana's eyes flashed in anger at the mockery dripping from Laila's tone. "I've a right mind not to drag you back to Cervena and throw you back into the whorehouse," she seethed, cold eyes unblinking, "Let Rheon Kanark violate you until you're bleeding from every opening in your body."

"You don't scare me, Morgana," whispered Laila, the muscles of her mouth twitching into a small frown. "And neither does Rheon. Not anymore."

"Oh, you should be scared," the witch hissed, "Of me, especially." She straightened up and turned her back to the girl. "You will not back out. You will go back to Camelot and you will stay there and finish what you started. If you don't…" she threw a deadly glare at the girl over a shoulder, "Don't think I'll feel any ounce of regret for giving you back to the disgusting bastard they call a lord of Cervena."

Laila did not reply so she continued. "You're crafty, you can come up with more lies to feed to Merlin and everyone else at Camelot. There is still much to be done and you will do well to stand back and let my plans go their way."

"What do you intend to do?" Laila asked softly, lifting her eyes to look up at Morgana. She hadn't specifically given in to Morgana's commands, but she wasn't resisting either. The witch began to pace around her slowly, updating her on what scheme she had recently cooked up. "I'm sure you've heard or at least saw the signs that Arthur wishes to make Guinevere his queen, yes?"

"It was pretty obvious," the girl admitted, "Though I didn't hear it directly from Arthur himself."

"It won't happen for a few weeks thanks to the lower town fires," Morgana smirked, still pleased that the burnings had been executed so perfectly. "But when it does, Arthur will waste no time. In a matter of a few days, he and Gwen will be married and she will sit upon my throne. You know very well that I refuse to sit around and let that happen."

"By now, I think you've drilled that into my head," Laila muttered. "And just what do you plan on doing to stop their wedding?"

"It is simple yet complicated at the same time," Morgana explained, gripping the back of Laila's chair, hovering over her intimidatingly. "The plan itself was easy to come up with. The task of making it happen may take time and could require some serious power."

Laila turned her neck and looked up at the witch with curious eyes. "Well, don't keep me guessing. Enlighten me."

"Do you remember when I told you of the late Sir Lancelot, a knight of Camelot?" Morgana asked, circling around the girl and facing her.

"The noble one?" Laila questioned but she nodded her head, meaning she did remember. "You didn't tell me much but yes, I recall you talking about him. And… Merlin has spoken about him too."

Morgana stiffened a little but she did not allow for her jealousy to expose itself through her body movements. Laila was satisfied enough, pushing her buttons and smiling at the possibility of being sent back to her death. "Yes, well… then you remember. They called him the noblest and bravest men among the knights. And why shouldn't they? Many times he risked his life to save his friends and loved ones, ending it when he sacrificed himself to restore the balance of the world."

"He sounds like he was a good man," Laila said, "But I don't know how he plays a role in stop- _wait_." The corners of Morgana's lips curved up into a sinister smirk- she was catching on nicely. "Wait, wasn't Lancelot also the one that Gwen…?" The woman merely nodded. "You don't… you're not going to… _can you do that_?"

"Indeed I can." Morgana went to get something from her shelves- something that was precious to her. Morgause had given her a gift before her passing- a special coin, an ancient artifact of the old religion… and a powerful object of dark magic. She walked back to the girl and handed her the coin. Laila took it and eyed it cautiously, running a finger over the swirling pattern. She looked up at Morgana. "What is it?"

"A gift from my sister," murmured the witch, careful not to let her voice break. Speaking of Morgause made her heart ache; she missed her very much. Laila gave it back to her and she weighed it in her hands. "With the potential to raise the dead."

"How? How would you do it?" Laila asked, almost eager to know.

Morgana sighed. "I don't know," she admitted, even though she didn't want to, "But I can find out how to release its power. And when I do, Guinevere and Arthur's wedding will be no more. Not while Lancelot is alive."

Laila looked a bit frightened. "That's… I'm not sure what to say," she breathed, "You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

"When Agravaine said it, my mind went to work straight away." Morgana sank back into her chair, coin still in her hand. "You look nervous, Laila. Is something troubling you?"

"I'm scared for Gwen," she confessed, keeping her head down, "For her relationship with Arthur. God knows what Lancelot could do to come between them."

"Lancelot was Gwen's first love, before Arthur won her heart," Morgana replied, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Speaking of Gwen and Arthur like it was the greatest love story in history could make her gag without having to see anything. "It's not so much what Lancelot would do, but what Gwen would do once she sees him."

"Impossible," Laila disagreed. "Gwen loves Arthur, she would never betr-" She snapped her mouth shut and Morgana narrowed her eyes at her. The word "betray" was used quite frequently when they were together, mostly due to the fact that it was something both could relate on.

"You think too much of Guinevere, young girl," Morgana sighed, placing the coin on the table, "Even perfect girls like her are bound to slip up just once in their lives." The hovel was silent after that. This gave the witch a chance to take a good look at the girl sitting in front of her. It only just occurred to her how young Laila was- she swallowed back her guilt, seeing the bright red mark on her cheek where she had slapped her moments before. Morgana was still angry, but that anger wasn't disconnected to the blame she targeted towards herself. It wasn't something easy she asked Laila to do, though it didn't mean Laila was allowed to _not_ do it anymore. In fact… wasn't it rather selfish of her to send someone else to hurt another without caring how it would affect the girl?

"When will you do it?" was the question.

"Whenever Agravaine delivers the news that Arthur has proposed," Morgana answered, "It could be weeks from now. All I know is, I can't have a dead man walking around here when I'm so constantly in and out. It has to be done when the time is right."

"They don't deserve it, Morgana," Laila said quietly. "No one in Camelot deserves the suffering you aim to put them through."

In a flash, the guilt was momentarily gone. "Are you on my side or are you not?" Morgana snapped.

"I don't know!" Laila exclaimed, "I don't know anymore, what I'm supposed to do. I said before I wouldn't hurt Merlin, but who am I kidding? I already have!"

"He'll get over it," Morgana said bitterly, "Once he remembers that Arthur is the light of his life, he'll forget you or I ever existed."

"Morgana, that's not how he is. Why must you always-"

"Don't act like you know him better than I do," Morgana yelled in a fit of rage, "I've been with that boy for years, I know exactly who he is and I'm not making anything up to win your sympathy. He will hurt you, as he has hurt me."

"I don't want to hear this," Laila dismissed, standing up and walking towards the door. Morgana wasted no time. She promptly got up and grabbed her arm, shoving her back. "Do you not believe me?" she asked, suspiciously cool and calm, "Do you think I'm lying when I say that Merlin will betray you before you even have the chance to do so?"

Laila yanked her arm away from Morgana. "You're jealous."

"And you're naïve, young girl," the witch shot back, "You believe Merlin's words so easily, I'd be crazy to think you're still on my side." She had thought this discussion was over, but no, the girl had opened it up again. The doubts were starting to set in over whether or not Morgana had made the right decision or not. Far too late. "Don't let him fool you, Laila. That's how you become tricked. When you let others manipulate you for their own benefit."

"You would know. Isn't that how you crossed over to the dark side?" Laila asked, "By believing Morgause's words so willingly? I think it's safe to say she manipulated you into turning against your own loved ones so she could bring about Uther's fall. In fact, I bet you meant nothing to her, she was just using you for her own benefit."

_Bam!_ Morgana had the small girl slammed against the wall, pale fingers locked around her throat. Anger toiled and burned inside of her, yet something, some goddamn heart she had in her was preventing her from truly hurting Laila. The girl clawed at Morgana's hand, but her scratches were not enough for the witch to release her. "Take that back," she warned, voice dangerously low, "Take those words back before I make you eat them."

"Do it," Laila choked, testing the woman, "While you're at it, drag me back to Cervena and let Rheon fuck me until I bleed to death. But don't pretend it's not the truth."

"Tell me, _whore_," Morgana drawled, ignoring her taunt, "Why is it that you continue to talk back to me and sass me when you are well aware of what my powers can do to you?"

"Like I said… before," Laila struggled to utter, her voice cracking thanks to Morgana's fingers closing in around her windpipe, "I'm not afraid… of you. Whatever you do to me… do… your… worst. I can handle it. I've… been… to hell… and back… many times. Your torture is… just a short stop."

"Foolish," Morgana muttered, releasing the girl's throat. Laila coughed it out, taking a deep intake of air. "Foolish is what you are."

"Better foolish than a coward," Laila muttered.

"What was that?" the witch thundered.

Laila jerked her head up to Morgana, and the woman detected a hint of hatred shining in her honey eyes- a hatred that she recognized as one that had been permanent in her own gaze for over a year now. "_Nothing_," she spat. "I said _nothing_."

"I thought so," Morgana snapped, but not too triumphantly. "And another thing; I don't care much for that tone. I excused it one too many times but I won't anymore."

"Whatever," Laila retorted, straightening up her spine. Morgana held her breath when she saw her fingerprints on her neck. Violence had been her key force in driving people to do as she wanted; why didn't this make her feel good? It used to give her a feeling of satisfaction but it was just making her feel more guilty. The look on Laila's face made it worse: _Does this make you pleased, Morgana? Are you feeling better, now that you've taken out all your frustration on her?_

"So what now? You're going to force me back to Camelot and make an even bigger mess than I already have?" Laila asked when her breathing was back to normal.

"That depends. Would you rather go back to Cervena, where your death would be sooner, slower, and more painful? Or out on your own, where the same consequences apply?" Morgana asked, crossing her arms. Laila could not be stupid; choosing this option just to not betray Merlin was too selfless of her. No one, not even the most honorable man in the world would do that.

"I should," Laila mumbled, keeping her eyes down, "I shouldn't be associating with this anymore. I'm starting to mentally kick myself for coming back here. I should've just run even farther away."

"But you didn't," Morgana finished, "You stayed. Either it is because of your loyalty to me… or your love for Merlin." She crept forward, her face close to Laila's. "Which is it?"

The glint in the girl's eyes did not match the words that left her mouth. Only one option was the right answer, and the right answer equaled her safety and well-being. "Loyalty to you."

"Good." Morgana avoided the possibility that Laila was lying. It didn't matter; she would not get what she wanted, as the witch had not herself. "Then you will do as I say. And you will not let your impulsive attitude ruin what mercy I've left for you." Not that this affected the girl; she would still be defiant. "I have asked Agravaine to come back late tomorrow night to keep me updated, in case the proposal is earlier than expected. He will take you back to Camelot tonight. And Laila… don't screw it up this time."

"Oh, I won't… under one condition."

Morgana froze and turned her steely eyes back on Laila. "You have nerve creating conditions… what do you want?"

"What you promised me. Helping me with my magic." Laila tilted her chin up, showing that she wasn't going to back down. "I haven't forgotten."

"Neither have I." It was the truth- she hadn't.

"And you will keep it. I'll do everything you ask, no matter how difficult it is for me… so long as you keep your promise and train me. With your experience and my tendency to learn quickly, I'll catch on in a few weeks."

"I told you, _after _I take Camelot," Morgana insisted.

"That's a long way off. How else do you expect me to defend myself in the future? When you take Camelot and it's revealed that I'm a traitor, no one is going to show me the same mercy that you have today." The girl made a point, despite the woman wanting to counter. She thought about it.

"Alright," Morgana reluctantly nodded. "As long as your loyalty remains with me and you do everything that I ask, I will train you. Ride to my hovel every night after dark and I will teach you as my sister taught me."

"Done," Laila agreed. "It seems I've made my choice. I'm loyal to you… my lady."

Morgana studied her apprehensively. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say were lying to me. You're much more cunning than you make yourself out to be."

"I've lied to enough people. If I can't make things right on that side, I might as well on the other." Laila shifted around a bit. "Is there anything I can do for you now before I leave once again?"

The witch surveyed her hovel, spotting her dying fire. "Go fetch some firewood. The sun has risen and I'm sure you haven't eaten in a long time, as have I."

Laila nodded her head once and turned to go out the door. The woman watched her every move, feeling like she was watching herself. She had once pretended to be Camelot's loving daughter and the faithful ward to Uther when at the time she took the city, her true colors shined. But her loyalty was to Morgause and to her people, as Laila's was to her now. Once upon a time, Morgana had been Laila- Gwen's friend, a trusted ally of Arthur's, fighting for Camelot…

And once upon a time, Morgana had loved Merlin. Up until the day she let her hatred for Uther take over how she felt for everyone else… especially him. That was only once upon a time. No more. Just like her, Laila had decided that her loyalties lay- opposite of Merlin.

Had it really been that easy for Morgana to turn her back? If so, was it as easy for Laila as it had been for her?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I don't know what's come over me, but I. Love. You. All. Your reviews make the block of ice that is my heart flutter. Suddenly I'm feeling nice and posting chapter after chapter at a fast pace. See what happens when you review? **

**I've realized I don't go very easy on Laila as I do with my other OCs. She's probably the most complex character I've written. And the most fun to write. Don't hate her too much, readers. She may be cunning, but she's got a lot more heart than you think. **

**So remember when I said things are going to get rather dark from here? I wasn't lying- I have something pretty dramatic planned to give this story an edge. Granted it might take time to build up to be believable but it'll work to everyone's liking. Feel free to take guesses- even if you are wrong, you may just give me ideas.**

**Keep calm and go down with your ships. Cheers. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_She was dreaming again. _

_A familiar, cold dark cell, a broken window above her. She peeked out of it, catching a glimpse of the stony black square, the fires lighting up the area bleak and faint. Guards walked past, briefly blocking her view and then she could see again. It was nighttime, the most depressing time of the day for so wretched a city as this. Cervena._

Home sweet home_, spoke a voice that did not belong to her. _You were tossed in here, in this very cell countless times for throwing fits and fighting everyone. Never did realize it would do you any good to keep your mouth and shut and do as you're told.

But I left here_, she responded dazedly, looking around the cell with fear in her eyes. _Or at least, I was taken. I never came back. What made me want to come back?

_The voice was laughing. _Who said you came back of your own accord?

Laila woke suddenly, lurching out of the small area of blankets that served as her bed in the corner of Morgana's hovel. She was breathing heavily and frantically searched the hovel. Morgana was not back yet; either she needed more firewood or was out, up to no good as per usual.

The girl wasn't sure what she was seeing; it was too real to be considered a dream yet too impossible to be seen as a vision. Laila's skill as a Seer hadn't made itself known since she had been in Camelot. But if this was one… she shuddered to think of it. What would have driven her to go back to Cervena, get caught, and thrown into the dungeon? The voice- which hauntingly sounded a lot like Rheon's- told her she didn't choose to go back. Which meant it was by force. _I must have been dreaming. It can't have been a vision of the future. I'm not going back. I won't go back. I'll fight whoever tries to take me back there._

At the same time, Laila did not want to go back to Camelot. Well, she did, for obvious reasons. But it would be difficult- she'd have to explain and apologize for her dramatic outburst and graceful exit from Merlin's window, go back to lying and pretending she was a simple, innocent village girl, and then wait for the day Morgana would storm through the citadel square with her army and the truth would be revealed. _How can I be expected to do this? Why did I come back? I should run off._

No. Running away wasn't the solution anymore. Laila had tried that and it fucked things up even worse. And so she would go back- it was going to be tough but she was not weak. Everything was going to work. It was in her hands now.

Evening descended upon the forest and Morgana was back. Laila had slept nearly all day and all of yesterday. Morgana had been speaking all day about what lies to spout, what to cover up, _Don't mess this up again, Laila, or all will go to waste_- yet the girl was not listening. It was hard to pay attention. She had too much on her mind.

"Agravaine will be here soon," Morgana announced, crossing over to the other side of the room. "I have asked him to be cautious the next time he sneaks out. Arthur barely believed him last one, no one knows if he will again."

"I know I wouldn't," Laila muttered, examining her arms. She stumbled around the forest all night last night, dealing with cuts and wounds and today, Morgana christened her with a slap and fingers around her throat. _I'm out of my mind_, she thought to herself, _So is this woman. Everyone I've met is almost as screwed up as I am, for various reasons. _

She looked up from her lashes to see Morgana glancing guiltily at her. The woman did not look so intimidating now, even in her usual black dress, messy waves, and cold, hardened gaze. "What?" Laila said unsurely, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"It's just… perhaps I was a bit… harsh with you today," Morgana started, "You angered me and…"

"I get it," the girl interrupted, "You don't have to apologize. In fact, I'd rather you didn't. It makes me feel like you pity me. Just forget it, Morgana. I ran my mouth, you lost your temper. I'm over it." _Not really_. She truly believed that she'd escaped beatings and taunts and threats. Morgana was no Rheon Kanark, but after today, Laila was mentally kicking herself for coming back and landing herself in another mess. Instead of creating a bigger one, she would have to start cleaning.

"What are you going to tell Merlin?" Morgana interrupted her private thoughts with the question of the day- just what lie would the brothel girl tell the serving boy?

"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe I'll think of something before Agravaine gets here."

"You should be careful," the woman advised, "Merlin is sharp. He has a way of figuring things out and seeing right through one's lies. I should be shocked that he doesn't see anything suspicious with you. Must mean he cares too much for you to believe something different." It was like Morgana's tone took a dive and she went from being knowing to bitter in just a few sentences. _She's jealous_, Laila thought, studying Morgana. _And doesn't have to be. Sooner or later, there will be no more of him for me either. But she doesn't know what I did. She'll be mad but she won't show it. Is it worth saying?_

"Morgana," she started, looking up at the witch with knowing eyes.

"Yes?" She had sat down on her usual chair, eyeing the small girl expectantly.

"Are you going to kill him?" Laila felt like a little girl then, asking curious questions and fearing for the worst. She watched as Morgana's face changed slowly, not taking her eyes off of her. She was thinking for the right answer, but Laila didn't know whether to take it as a good sign or not. For all she knew, Morgana had never thought of killing him and was now going to consider it.

"You love Merlin," the witch affirmed, avoiding the blunt question with an even blunter statement. That alone could make the girl choke up. Thinking about betraying a person she loved was more painful than anything. It wouldn't leave room to blame anyone but herself for that. Laila lowered her head. "Yes."

"And you do not want to see him dead." Another blunt statement.

She lifted her head this time. "Neither do you."

Morgana narrowed her eyes. "Don't start this again."

"I see the way you are when we talk about him," Laila began quietly, "If you wanted him dead, you would have finished the job a long time ago. I'm appalled that I'm the one saying this, but it's very easy to kill a person. Hell, you could have just sent me to kill Merlin. You don't need a well-trained assassin or even magic- just the guts to earn someone trust and then break it by killing them."

The witch said nothing. "I know he tried to kill you," the girl continued, "But he didn't want to. It was either you or all of Camelot, not just Arthur. I don't think it was an easy choice."

"Seemed easy enough to me," Morgana replied matter-of-factly.

"You could have been good when you came back." Once Laila started, she felt no need to stop. "None of this would be happening if you had just stayed in Camelot, for fuck's sake."

"I wasn't happy there," Morgana insisted, eyes glinting angrily, "You don't know what position I was in. To have to hide who I was from Uther, for fear of being killed. He had pursued my kind for years, taking innocent lives without a care if they had families or not. If he did that, don't think he would've killed me, his own blood. Merlin was no help to me. I thought he was. The people I thought loved and cared for me were so willing to be rid of me."

"Yeah, because you turned your backs to them!" Laila exclaimed suddenly, "You killed Uther. You tried to kill Gwen and Arthur and Merlin many times. All this just for a crown? Morgana… they were your _friends_."

"Whatever you're getting at, you should stop," Morgana snapped, clutching the arms of her chair. "I'm not normally this testy, but you are making it so."

"It's not too late," Laila said in a barely audible tone. "You could stop now. Put an end to this attack. You could be good again. I know there's good left in you, Morgana. If there wasn't… you would have been on that throne, Merlin, Arthur, Gwen, and anyone else dead. You're powerful, it would have been yours in a short amount of time."

"And then what?" Morgana countered mockingly, leaning forward, "_Of course_ I'll drop all my plans and come back to Camelot. _Of course_ I'll bow down to Arthur and Gwen, the happy royal family of Camelot_. Of course_ I'll watch you and Merlin be the sick little lovebirds you are, pretend everything is fine and that the past year has never happened. Is that what you want me to do?"

"No one said it was going to be easy," Laila said, irritated at Morgana's sarcasm.

"And no one said it would be this hard," Morgana shot back. "You only want me to go back to Camelot so you can be with Merlin and not have to choose between us. Well, you've chosen, young girl. You've chosen me. So drop it. Whatever fantasy you have of me disposing of my intentions to take my crown and go back to being the beloved half-sister to Arthur, put it out of your mind. And that's an order."

Laila sighed. Morgana was partially right- she did want this all to come to an end so she could rightfully choose what she wanted, not what wouldn't cause her to risk her life and put herself in more danger. And that was staying with Merlin. But she wasn't that selfish. It didn't make her feel good to see Morgana suffering like this. She was not happy and she wouldn't be even with her crown and Camelot in her hands, with her loved ones dead. Laila wasn't the only one running away from the truth. "You still haven't answered my previous question."

"I don't plan on it. No matter what I say, you won't like to hear it," Morgana dismissed.

"You wouldn't have to, you know. It would make things easier. Merlin isn't unforgiving and Arthur listens to him above anyone else. He could… I don't know, help change the king's mind."

The witch breathed out an impatient sigh. "Enough of this. If I say I won't kill Merlin, will you stop talking?"

Laila's shoulders sank and she felt defeated. Morgana didn't mean it, she was just trying to shut her up. And besides, even if she let him live- he would stop at nothing to bring Morgana down. There were many things the witch still did not know, secrets Laila would not dare speak out loud. _Clean up your mess, girl. Don't create a bigger one._

"You can't deny it forever, Morgana," she whispered, looking away. She waited; for another slap, another slam against the wall, another rage-filled retort. All she was met with was silence, and that was far worse.

"Not forever," the woman replied quietly, "Just as long as there is still breath in my body."

_So you'd rather be dead than admit to the truth? _"We continuously have this discussion over and over again, Laila," Morgana reminded, "And it always ends terribly. Even if I were to admit anything… it's too late. I can't want someone who is against me and my kind. He's not on my side or yours. We've both decided where we belong and it is not where you want it to be."

Laila looked at her. "You mean you still-"

Before she could finish her question, the door to her hovel opened and in walked the dark figure of Agravaine, wearing chainmail and bearing the crest of Camelot. "My lady," he bowed his head, "And… girl."

"Agravaine," Laila mumbled a weak greeting. She never did take to Arthur's uncle. Especially now that he interrupted her when she was about to ask a crucial question.

"About time," Morgana said darkly. "You're looking rather dapper in chainmail, my lord. Dark colors don't suit you as well." Her sarcasm was biting, similar to Laila's, but the girl held herself back from laughing. Granted she did not like Agravaine much, but it can't have felt good, being picked on by the Priestess all the time.

The man's face flushed for a moment and then he straightened up. "Yes, well… Arthur has been sending out searches all day for the girl since last night."

Laila's head perked up and she stared at Agravaine. "Arthur sent out searches… for _me_?"

"It appears your lover managed to talk the king into looking for you," Morgana said snarkily, a smirk dancing on her lips, "You're a lot more important than you thought."

_At least I appreciate the trouble they would go to find me_. If she had the nerve, Laila would have said it out loud. But she decided it best not to bring about more trouble for herself. But there was no denying how obvious Morgana's jealousy had been. She was making this a lot harder for herself.

"What in God's name has happened to you?" Agravaine was staring at Laila's wounds.

"You try running through the forest all night and not get hurt," Laila snapped.

"Irrelevant, my lord," Morgana waved away, standing up. "Where are the other knights?"

"Searching, as I have said. I strayed from the group to come here. Any longer, and they'll grow suspicious. We must hurry," Agravaine urged.

"Right you are. Wait outside, she'll be with you in a moment." Agravaine looked bothered but he did as he was told. When the door closed behind me, Laila got up from her spot and faced Morgana. This was very different from the first time because she was well aware of what she was getting into.

"Get it out of your head, Laila. I'm not changing my mind," Morgana said sharply.

"Morgana," she started to say, unsure if she should say it. Imagine if the witch knew… that Merlin could not fight against her kind if he _was_ her kind. That he used to love her and used his own magic to save her life. Maybe, just _maybe_, she would change her mind. But that would require some serious revealing on her part… _in what way can I make her see that, without telling her about Merlin's magic? _"Never mind. I'll get it out of my head."

"Good." Morgana sounded satisfied. "And I haven't forgotten my promise. I'll help strengthen your magic. Anything else before I send you off?"

At once, Laila's dream came to her head and her face changed color as she remembered it. Locked up in a dungeon in the castle at Cervena… was it possible Morgana had been the reason she was locked up in there? "You would… you didn't really mean everything you said yesterday about sending me back to Cervena, did you?"

Morgana looked a bit guilty. "I was angry, I was just saying things that came to my head."

"I suppose." Laila looked at the floor. "You'll tell me whenever you plan something new so at least I get a heads-up?"

"Cross my heart," Morgana promised. "In a few weeks, I will put the Lancelot plan into action."

_And I'll just stand there and watch_. "And after that?"

"All in good time. Now go, Agravaine is waiting."

"What's he going to tell Arthur?"

"Agravaine is just as sly as us. He'll come up with something. Your issue is to tell Merlin why you ran off."

Another lie. They just kept piling up. "Sounds easier said than done."

Morgana was hinting at a smile, not a cruel one. "You can never go wrong with tears and an emotional apology."

She followed Laila outside to watch Agravaine take her back to Camelot.

This should be interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I was debating on whether or not I should write more but I decided to stop here, seeing as I've kept you waiting for too long. Next chapter may include a time skip, so we can get right into Lancelot. **

**Your reviews make me smile. Very nice to see my readers express their feelings for certain characters and become invested in them. Love or hate Laila, you can't deny that her complexity is fascinating. I say that and I'm the author. One of you hit the nail on the head- she indeed holds the strings for Mergana. So please keep reviewing! Feel free to make predictions and/or rant your little hearts out. **

**PS. I may be going insane, but some songs I listen to remind me of this story. Make me feel better and tell me the same has happened to some of you...**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Merlin. _Merlin_."

The warlock snapped out of it. "Yes, sire?"

Arthur stared up at him expectantly. "You can let go of my soup now." Merlin looked down to his fingers were still clutched around the rim of the soup bowl as he was placing it in front of the king. His cheeks turned red as he released Arthur's dinner. "Sorry," he muttered, turning away and mentally slapping himself for being so distracted.

"You know, I told you that you could take the day off if you're so bothered," Arthur reminded, dipping a spoon into his bowl. "Gwen could have helped me today."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Merlin muttered quietly.

The king's spoon clattered. "_What_?"

"I'm fine," the warlock assured hastily. Truthfully, he wasn't, it was clear to see. He had been thinking all day, disturbed by his own thoughts and memories. There were some things that Merlin simply could not understand- what was he doing wrong? What had he done wrong? It was like every course of action he chose, it backfired on him. Save Freya, watch her get killed by Arthur. Try to help Morgana with her magic, keep her from killing Arthur. Admit his feelings for Laila, get knocked back and see her run away from him. Why was he so unlucky with women? Was it because his stupid destiny did not allow him to have a person he loved? _You would think having your destinies intertwined with another meant something wonderful. Too bad it means save Arthur's backside every time from people who want to see him dead._

"Any news?" Merlin asked Arthur, watching his master eat his dinner slowly.

The king shook his head. "I sent them a while ago, they'll be back soon."

"Would they bring her back, even if…" Merlin swallowed back the words he feared would become real. "…if she's dead?"

Arthur shot Merlin a fierce look with his blue eyes. "It would be a wise choice, _Mer_lin, to be optimistic for once in your life. Gwen is hysterical and it took most of my time and energy to assure her that she will be found, _alive_."

Merlin sighed deeply. "But you can be more honest with me," he whispered.

Arthur's eyes softened and he exhaled, putting down his spoon. "The orders were to bring her back… dead or alive."

"Sire, what if… what if Morgana's gotten to her?" There, he said it. The possibility that the High Priestess had gotten her hands on Laila hadn't left Merlin's mind and if another day passed with no sight of the girl, Merlin would go out and look for her himself. The knights would be no match against Morgana- only he surpassed her skill in magic.

Arthur's muscles stiffened and suddenly, his appetite was gone. Talk of Morgana always made his head hurt and remembering her betrayal was like a dagger through his heart. "I'd like to think Morgana has better things to do, like plot my downfall, rather than torture a serving girl," he snapped. "As far as I know, Laila doesn't walk around, bearing the crest of Pendragon around her neck. She could be from some other kingdom, in Morgana's mind."

"I know, but-"

"Put it out of your head, Merlin. What's the use of thinking that way if it only makes you feel worse?" Shoulders sinking, Merlin nodded his head. In a way, Arthur was right. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. But it was proving to be rather difficult, thinking positively when everything was going wrong. Though the warlock had to admit, Arthur had been nothing but sympathetic these past two days. It made him feel better, despite his current mood.

Speaking of Morgana… she'd been relatively quiet these past few months. Merlin should have been relieved, but this was extremely dangerous. Morgana wasn't the type to lay low for long and she certainly wasn't sitting in her hovel, brushing her hair and reading centuries-old romance stories. She was scheming. And if Merlin were to guess correctly, he'd say a plan was already set into action. He just had to find out what it was before it got out of hand.

The sound of Arthur stirring his bowl with his utensil was interrupted by knocking on the chamber doors. "Enter," the king called out. In walked Sir Leon, breathing heavily, looking a bit flushed. Arthur rose from his chair and Merlin threw all his attention towards the knight. "What news, Sir Leon?" asked his master.

"Sire, Lord Agravaine found the girl. She appeared wounded when he found her," Leon rambled off the update. Merlin widened his eyes. What had happened to her?

"_Wounded_?" Arthur repeated. "How so? Did someone attack her?"

"Gaius is tending to her now. She hasn't told us anything yet but you must come." Leon left the room, leaving Arthur and Merlin to contemplate what had just been told to them. Arthur looked at his servant, jerking his head towards the door. "Lead the way, big man. Your lady is waiting."

"Don't need to be told twice," Merlin responded promptly, hurrying out of Arthur's chambers. The king was close behind him, but it didn't feel fast enough. Merlin was one part nervous, two parts relieved- Laila was fine, she was safe. But there were still questions yet to be answered, replies he feared would not please him.

The two burst into Gaius's chambers, breathing heavily. The old man's back had been turned but he looked and saw his king and his ward staring back at him. Behind him sat Laila and next to her was Gwen, looking relieved and worried at the same time. "Merlin, sire," Gaius addressed, nodding his head once. Merlin turned his eyes away from Gaius and looked intently at Laila, who looked back, unreadable and without any sign of feeling intimidated. Arthur broke the long silence with clearing his throat.

"Right, well, I think these two need to be alone to talk," he stated obviously, "Gwen? Gaius? Let's give them a moment."

Gwen looked at Laila. "I'll be fine," the girl murmured. The maid smiled reassuringly and walked away from her side. Arthur nodded approvingly. "Gaius?"

"I suppose I could finish inspecting her later," the physician decided. He patted Merlin on the shoulder before following Arthur and Gwen out of the chambers. _Well, that was the most awkward moment of my life_, Merlin told himself. It was amusing at the same time, but now was a terrible moment to be laughing.

Laila turned her eyes away from Merlin, suddenly appearing ashamed with herself. Merlin narrowed his eyes, feeling anger rise up in him. He was quiet for a moment, thinking of a way to express himself without letting all of his frustration at her tear down the whole room. "You have the nerve to run away from me not once but twice, and now you don't even have the guts to look me in the eye?" He sounded harsher than he intended.

The girl didn't meet his eyes and didn't speak a word. He took it as an opportunity to continue, "You really never cease to amaze me, you know that? I thought the girl, the girl I found in the forest that day and had grown so close to, I thought she was special, I thought she would be the one. And she runs off after we make love and is found two days later, can't even bring herself to look at me."

"She's ashamed," Laila murmured quietly.

"She should be," Merlin snapped. "She should feel terrible for making the person she supposedly loves feel like utter shit. Oh, wait." The warlock let out a dry, bitter laugh. "I shouldn't have said that because I was never once told that she loves me. Instead, that girl has been playing around with me ever since she came to Camelot. Big surprise, that girl is _you_."

"I'm not playing around with you, Merlin," Laila said, her tone of voice still barely audible. "I never was."

"_Really_?" Merlin yelled, walking forward and grabbing her by the arms, "Because given what's happened, I think you don't know what you want and so feel the need to throw me around in circles until you decide if we should be together or not!"

Laila was looking down. She hadn't even flinched when he grabbed her. "Look at me, for heaven's sake," he growled, "I'm not a stranger." She finally did and her eyes were glistening. The sight of that made Merlin regret letting his anger get the best of him. He slowly released her arms and backed away a little. The warlock had only just noticed the faint pink scar above her left eyebrow. Gingerly, he touched it with his fingers. "What happened here?"

Laila moved her head away. "It's fine," she muttered.

"This looks healed," Merlin observed. "How did you get it? Laila… where did you go?"

Laila closed her eyes and reopened them. "Take my advice," she started, "Never walk around the woods aimlessly. Not the wisest decision I ever made."

"Why were you there?" Merlin asked, "How is it the knights never found you?"

"Maybe I didn't want to be found," she replied simply.

"_Why_?" Merlin said desperately, "You were planning on running away from me? Completely?"

"I didn't want to!" Laila insisted, "I was just so confused, I wasn't sure if… I needed time to think. I hated myself for leaving you like that. It was wrong, I shouldn't have…"

"Next time you want to, give me a heads up before you knock me back into a wall," Merlin said bitterly, holding his hands out. "So at least I'm warned."

Laila closed her mouth, unsure of what to say next. Merlin had more to find out and he had no intention of letting her go free. "I'm not letting the matter drop. You needed time to think, well you've had it. Now you're back here and you will answer my questions. Who's going to come between us?"

"I was speaking hypothetically," Laila responded, uncrossing her legs.

"Sounds pretty specific if you wanted us to run away from here."

"It's impossible to be together in a place like this," she said, "A place that's constantly under attack. You were willing to run away once before, why change your mind now?"

"Arthur _needs_ me," Merlin stressed, "I wasn't thinking before. I can't just leave everything here. You don't give up just because things are hard, you make them work. Are you telling me you don't want to?"

"Merlin, of course I want to."

"Then _what's_ the problem? Laila, _what_ am I missing here?"

"There were some things that… I wasn't sure of. Things I was scared to know."

"Enlighten me."

Laila took a deep breath. "I know you're loyal to Arthur," she began, "But I also know you. What if I did something… something unforgivable… would you find it in you to forgive me?"

Merlin stared at her for a second, not sure of where she was getting at. "What did you do?"

"Again, a general question. I have to know, and it's been bothering me for so long," Laila told him.

"You're asking me something difficult to answer. Let me get this straight, you want to know if I would forgive you for an action you did that was very, _very_ bad."

"Yes." She nodded her head.

Merlin was at a loss for words. What could he say to her? _Yes, I love you, I would forgive anything that you do, no matter how bad._ That wasn't the entire truth. Merlin was very kind at heart but he wasn't about to become a doormat everyone step on whenever they wanted to. If that were the case, he would have let Morgana's actions slide and she would still be here. He looked down at the floor. "What would you do?" he murmured. He waited for the worst.

She lowered her gaze. Her answer was simple yet painful. "Break your heart."

He wanted to laugh. "You did. Two days ago, when you left me."

"Then… do you forgive me?"

Merlin paused, not speaking. Did he? He most certainly was not okay with it. Yet it didn't mean he would hate Laila forever. "I shouldn't," he said bitterly, "I shouldn't forgive you. Anytime I forgive someone who let me down, something bad happens to me. They screw me over again and again." Morgana came to mind immediately, but he didn't say it out loud- he already let that slip a few days ago and it didn't make him feel any good. "It isn't my fault. I didn't do anything wrong. Not this time. This was all you. _You_ got away from _me_."

"I know," Laila muttered, not fighting him.

"You know," Merlin repeated dryly. "What kind of answer is that?"

"The only one I've got."

Merlin stared at Laila and she stared back at him. He could have yelled some more, let her have it. He could have made her feel the way he did when she left. He could have done any of those things, make at least one girl see just what she did to him. _If not Morgana, then you._ The warlock didn't have that chance last time… and he wasn't going to take it this time either.

Instead, he ran towards her, grabbed her face, and kissed her as if she'd been gone longer than two days. Laila kissed him back, as if she knew he was going to go for it. Merlin could go on being angry with her but sooner or later, he had to. He just had to. He had missed her so much, it physically ached. _I forgive you_, he spoke telepathically. _I forgive you, Laila._

Momentarily breaking away, he whispered, "Don't _ever _leave me again. Do you hear me? Run off again and I swear I'll find you myself. And you _do not_ want me looking for you."

Laila fought a smile as if she knew something he didn't. "I won't. I promise."

That was enough for him.

* * *

><p>A few weeks after she sent Laila back to Camelot, Morgana was visited with news: the lower town re-buildings had taken a shorter amount of time than expected. Gwen's home had been restored to its former glory rather quickly, seeing as it had not be too affected. But that was hardly the useful piece of information for her- it meant one thing and one thing only.<p>

"Arthur wishes to propose to Gwen tomorrow night," Agravaine announced one night. It was late, very late. Laila had been coming every night when the castle was asleep for what she and Morgana called her "lessons." Morgana was most well-versed in the art of dark magic and was passing on her knowledge, afraid that it would overwhelm the young girl how powerful it was. She kept a healthy mix and thankfully, Laila caught on quickly. The lessons were short, lasting between thirty minutes to an hour. Because of this, Laila delivered news to Morgana. But for the week, Morgana asked her she needed a break. There was more work to be done on her side. Agravaine was her company tonight instead.

"You know this to be certain?" Morgana questioned, fully alert and not the least bit tired. She recalled the very spot where she put the coin on her shelves the minute Agravaine made the official announcement.

"He told me so himself before he went to bed," the man confirmed, "He called me to his chambers and said it personally. I feel it is time to put the Lancelot plan into action."

"You feel correctly," Morgana nodded. "I will get to it first thing tomorrow morning."

"Are you sure you know how to do this, my lady?" Agravaine questioned, leaning towards her, "I may not know much about sorcery, but raising the dead… it seems tricky."

"Exactly why I intend to get help. I know just who to go to. You, Agravaine, shall stay supportive no matter what. No need to cause any suspicions at a time like this."

The next day, Morgana was up at the crack of dawn. She mounted her horse and rode to seek the help of the Dochraid. The Dochraid was one of the few who remembered the times of the Old Religion and would know how to wield the power of the coin. On top of her instructions, the Dochraid fed Morgana an interesting piece of news- that she was said to bring that the old times. _Just you wait and see_, Morgana thought to herself after she was told that.

The directions had been simple. Morgana was to travel to the Pool of Nemhain and cast the coin into the water- then, she would get her wish. The coin was able to raise a Shade, a shadow of a dead human being.

The Pool of Nemhain was dark and depressing, with dirty black waters and a cold atmosphere. Stepping cautiously into the shallow end, Morgana tossed the coin at a fair distance into the water and waited as patiently as she could. She almost doubted herself- what if it would not happen? What if her powers were not strong enough? Her questions were answered instantly when the surface of the water broke and bubbled where she had thrown the coin.

Morgana held her breath as a figure rose up at snail's pace, soaking wet, water rushing down his body. The witch stood still has he made his way towards her, head down, letting the wetness drip off of him. She couldn't believe her eyes- she'd done it! She raised the Shade!

Finally, he lifted his head. "My name is Lancelot, my lady," he spoke, bowing his head, "I'm yours to command."

A smirk broke out onto Morgana's face. _Indeed you are_, she thought to herself. She was going to have plenty of fun with this. It wasn't every day a handsome former knight of Camelot was hers to play with.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I thought it interesting how bout Morgana and Arthur tell Merlin and Laila to get certain things out of their heads. Brother and sister are more alike than we think. **

**Okay, okay, BEFORE I get this reaction, "Omg, how could Laila lie again, she's such a selfish little tramp, she doesn't deserve Merlin, GOD, SHADY LOVE, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU, I HATE YOU", look, just **_**look**_** at their conversation. Read it, read it again. Don't tell me you don't see something in there. Something reassuring. If you don't… well, I need to do my job better.**

**I've finally figured out a way to wrap this whole story up with a satisfying ending. It's going to involve confessions, complications, and the characters you love to hate, the beloved Kanark brothers. Already started writing the next chapter and will update very soon. Please review! They make my heart go on. **

**PS. Have you guys seen the pictures from Comic Con? Be still my beating heart!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Morgana had been watching the Shade observantly, green eyes swiping over his features. Lancelot was indeed a very handsome man with prominent features and a kind personality to match. As he slept, Morgana recalled the past and his previous relationship with Gwen. There had been something between them, a first-love type relationship. It was interesting to think that before Arthur loved Gwen, there was someone who loved her all along- and he had been tossed aside. How careless of dear Guinevere- she had a great, honorable man who loved her with all his heart.

Lancelot stirred a little and suddenly opened his eyes, as if he had woken up from a nightmare. His brown eyes averted to meet hers. "You must be tired," she spoke, starting what was going to be a long conversation. "You've been on a journey few have ever dreamed of."

"I know not… where I've been my lady," Lancelot responded, "Only that I am yours."

So lovely it sounded to her ears- a man admitting he was his. If there was one thing Morgana loved, it was someone knowing full well who had the power over the other. The knight went for his sword and Morgana stopped his hand. "Slow down. You won't be needing that… not yet. We have work to do and it is not your sword I require, so much as your heart."

An intrigued look crossed Lancelot's face. _Brace yourself, fair and noble knight. A new journey begins for you, and it starts with a simple love story._

* * *

><p>"Hurry," Merlin whispered, sticking his head out to make sure no one had come yet before looking inside Gwen's house.<p>

"Wait, just one more," Laila replied in a regular voice, "Why are you whispering?"

"Someone could hear me! Oh, it doesn't matter, just hurry up!"

Rolling her eyes, Laila placed the last candle on the table and leaned down. "_Onbærnan_." A thin wisp of flame appeared on the candle. Smiling and clearly satisfied, Laila straightened up to survey the room one last time. Her and Merlin had been instructed by Arthur to decorate Gwen's home with candles, as this was the very spot he was going to propose in. She would have been happier than she was- if she didn't know more than the rest of them.

"Yes, yes, our work is lovely, now can we please get out before they catch us?" Merlin rushed her, waving an arm for Laila to follow him. He had become exceptionally wary of the girl in the past few weeks, to the point where she feared he would have a breakdown if she was out of his sight for more than a few minutes or so. Laila followed him out of Gwen's newly rebuilt home and to their hiding spot where they would wait for the future married couple to arrive.

"He was going to do this earlier, but then the fires happened," Merlin explained, peeking out from behind a wall of the house, "Now, Arthur's got the chance. Can't say I've seen him be such a giddy mess before. You should have seen him today, it was priceless. If I could somehow capture his face when he was daydreaming, I would."

"Fires… right…" Laila followed his glance behind the wall, a mix of nervous and excited at the same time. And queasy. Apparently it was getting to her so much, it would practically cause her to throw up the contents in her stomach._ How much more am I going to beat myself up over this? I knew what I was getting into…_

"That's all you got out of what I said?" Merlin teased her, averting his attention back to her.

Laila managed a weak chuckle. "My excitement's not letting me focus well."

"Neither is mine. Gwen's reaction is going to be equally as priceless." Merlin wasn't containing anything. It was obvious that the warlock was Gwen and Arthur's number one fan and would fight for them to stay together. Which would make Lancelot's job harder. And Morgana would get mad. And she would do even more unspeakable things. Laila felt her stomach churn unpleasantly and swallowed. It was like this almost every day. Even Merlin's wariness of her was making her a lot more anxious than usual. _If I keep thinking about this, I may just retch from stressing out._

Merlin glanced over the wall of Gwen's house. "I see them! He's bringing her here. Quick, hide!"

"I already am," Laila giggled. It was rather adorable, watching Merlin get so worked up over a proposal that he wasn't making nor receiving. They spied on Arthur quietly leading a clothed Gwen into her room. They switched views through the window surreptitiously. They watched as Arthur removed the cloth from Gwen's eyes and the confusion and awe light up on her face when she saw the candles in her room.

Arthur sat Gwen down and went down on one knee before her. "Guinevere," he began, getting straight to the point, "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" At that moment, Gwen looked so shocked that she did not speak. Instead, she reached over and wrapped her arms around Arthur, hugging him tightly. Merlin was holding his breath and Laila's stomach clenched unpleasantly. She was going to say yes. That was both good… and bad.

The king looked puzzled as she held on to him. "Is that a yes?" he asked for confirmation.

Gwen pulled away, laughing tearfully. "Oh, I'm sorry! Yes, yes!"

A grin of Cheshire cat proportions appeared on Merlin's face. Laila smiled too. How could she not? This moment was so perfect, it was hard to think ahead. That would have to wait till later. As Arthur slipped the ring onto Gwen's finger, she felt Merlin gently pull her away from the window. "Let's leave them alone for a bit, the best part is over."

"Is it, though?" Laila asked casually, walking beside him. There was an underlying playfulness to her tone. "Isn't the fun going to start after they're married?"

Merlin glanced at her sideways, another smile tugging at his mouth. "You act as though married couples have the most fun."

"I'm just saying, the best is about to begin."

"Well, you're right there. The wedding will be in a few days. After that, things are definitely going to change around here, now that Arthur has a queen."

Laila kept herself cool and went along with the conversation. "I'm going to miss living with her! Gwen is wonderful company to have."

"Oh really? And what am I, the worst ever?" Merlin teased.

"The absolute worst ever. I can't stand you."

Chuckling at her sarcasm, the warlock shook his head. "Now, that's definitely not true. I think I've made myself out to be rather lovable to you." He grabbed her hand and dragged her towards him into his arms. "At least," he continued quietly, "I hope I have."

Laila looked up into the same pale blue eyes that she often found herself captivated by. These were one of those moments and she loved them- at least for a split second, that was all she could think about. "You have," she replied in a voice barely above a whisper. It was a really incomplete answer- for weeks, Laila could sense the unfinished business between the two of them; the unanswered questions, the curious looks… the way she could practically hear the words in her ears… _I still don't know why you left me._ Merlin liked to insist that he was fine, that he was over it. But his need to protect her and watch over her mixed with Laila's awareness of her actions made her head and her heart ache. Some nights, she hated Morgana for doing this to her. Most nights, she hated herself. On occasion, she would hate Merlin. She was not supposed to fall in love with him too… _that wasn't the plan_.

"Good," Merlin murmured, leaning his head in to kiss her. Just as their lips were about to meet, Laila felt herself hit with another wave of nausea. She pulled her head back from him. Merlin looked at her strangely. "What is it, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just… I'm tired," she shrugged off, slightly pulling herself away from his arms. "After today, setting up all those candles and whatnot, I guess I just need sleep."

Merlin looked a bit concerned. "You can't go back to Gwen's." He took a step towards her, reaching for her again. "Unless you want to intrude on her and Arthur's… moment, let's call it."

Laila smiled. "No, no, I don't want to do that."

"Stay with me tonight," Merlin offered, "After all… it's going to be your new home, isn't it?" _New home_. Laila's heart skipped a beat. Not that she was totally experienced in these kinds of things… but once Gwen married Arthur, she would no longer be living in her small home. And with the way Merlin had been with her, he certainly wasn't going to let her live on her own. Big step after big step would lead to… would it?

"Right… right." Laila nodded her head and worked up a smile. "Good point."

Merlin took her by her hand and led her back inside the castle. Once in the main corridor, Laila put on a show of leaving something in the first area that came to her head- the kitchens. She told him to go ahead, insisting it would only take a minute as he would want to escort her there. It worked, though Merlin watched her go completely until she was out of sight. Honestly, any place would have worked, as long as it was empty and Merlin wasn't around. Because Laila could not hold herself together any longer and dare he see her, he would panic until he lost his mind.

Halfway down the hall, Laila felt a terrible burning sensation rise up in her throat. She lurched forward and was sick on the floor, coughing out what was making her stomach flip flop so much. Once she was done, she struggled to her feet, brushing her hair back and wiping her mouth. Muttering a quick cleaning spell Merlin had taught her, her mess on the floor was gone.

Laila leaned against a wall of the corridor, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. She hadn't realized she would actually be sick from all of this. Nauseous, yes, but not this bad. Thankfully, no one saw her. It probably wasn't anything as serious as she thought. Maybe Gaius could give her something to soothe her stomach, at least enough so she wouldn't be vomiting in the halls of the castle.

_What if it's not from stress?_ The small voice in Laila's head spoke to her. _What if it's something much, much bigger than that? _

_Oh please, spare me. I've contracted enough colds and fevers, my immune system is solid. _

_Who said it was an illness? Who said it was anything bad?_

Laila stopped, opening her eyes and lifting herself from the wall. There was only one reason and one reason only why being sick would be good. Years at the call house in Cervena showed her that much. But that was impossible! She'd been a brothel girl all her life, why now? Men had always been careful with her, not to knock her up. And it was too soon, her and Merlin had been together more than once… _oh no. No, no, no. _Their first time was a few weeks ago…

The girl straightened up and walked back down the hall to Gaius's chambers. It was just one or two symptoms, it couldn't have meant anything. Besides, there were other explanations- food poisoning, a stomach infection, something like that. Something easily fixable. But if it was the _other_ reason… it had to be kept a secret. From everyone. Even Merlin. And _especially_ Morgana.

_You can't run away anymore, sweetheart. Time to own up and face what's ahead of you._

* * *

><p>Morgana had wasted no time in catching Lancelot up on all that had escaped his memory. His love for Gwen, his loyalty to Arthur, his friendship with Merlin… the knight had soaked it all in thoughtfully without asking questions. When she was done, she described her plan to him, every last detail. When night approached, Lancelot had fallen asleep again. Morgana was confident that he knew exactly what he had to do.<p>

Agravaine arrived in place of Laila that night. "How is our adversary?" he asked, walking in and casting eyes on the napping Lancelot.

"He's learning fast," Morgana commented behind him. "Soon he will know enough to convince everyone he is the Lancelot we all knew." She sat in front of the knight, feeling slightly sad. Great as he had once been, Lancelot was nothing, merely her puppet. "I thought it would please me," she confessed, "Molding his mind… I feel curiously sad. He was once so mighty. Now, he's nothing but a Shade. I should be sorry to see him go."

"Yes, but… I'm sure he will do his job well, my lady," Agravaine spoke up. His attempt at sounding encouraging had failed but Morgana let it go.

"Oh, he will. I have no doubts about it. Still… he made decent company these few hours. It fills up the loneliness while sitting in this damned hovel every day and night." Morgana stood up and faced the knight. "Any news for me?"

"Nothing new, except that Arthur has proposed. No need to tell you Gwen's answer." Agravaine rolled his eyes. "I don't know what he sees in a mere serving girl. Many highborn girls would weave their hair into wigs if given the chance to win his heart. And he settles for her?"

"Have you not loved once, Agravaine?" Morgana disapproved. "If it mattered on your status, Arthur would have had a wife a long time ago. Guinevere has qualities that would soften the hearts of the most vicious of men. I myself am not surprised.." The witch shook her head. "Enough of that, I knew that already. What about Laila? I haven't seen her in a while."

"Nothing has changed, my lady. She's… kept quiet. I've rarely seen her alone. Merlin keeps a sharp eye on her, now that he sees she's prone to running off."

Morgana glanced at him coolly. "Oh, protective of her now, is he? Isn't that just sickeningly romantic?" She tried to play it off as sarcastic, but to trained ears, it sounded jealous.

"Morgana, I know I say this often but I feel I must continue to caution you about her," Agravaine sighed, "She has defied you not once, but a few times, speaking out of line and running off from you. And knowing that she reciprocates certain feelings for Merlin, I fear her intentions are not what you ordered them to be."

"I am grateful for your worry, my lord, but I hate to remind you that I don't need it." Morgana walked away from him. Talking about Laila and Merlin was not something she wanted to do at this present moment. It only reminded her of her own doubts.

"You do need it!" Agravaine argued.

"Keep your voice down!" Morgana whisper-snapped, side-eyeing Lancelot.

The man lowered his tone. "What reason do you have to believe that Laila will not betray you in the end? For all we know she could be telling Arthur of your plans. I underestimate her at first, but she is cunning and can find a way to expose you without revealing how she even knows you."

"She wouldn't," Morgana said at once. "Her loyalties lie with me."

"How can you be positive of this?"

_I can't._ "You and I have more against her than she does with us. Remember, no one in Camelot knows Laila has magic. And I've told her that I have allied with the Kanark brothers. To tell Arthur everything would be begging me to throw her right into Rheon Kanark's bed and lock the door." She regretted saying that, for it brought back old memories she had hoped to push into the recesses of her mind.

"She does not fear them anymore. You've been teaching her magic," Agravaine countered. "You told me she catches on rapidly. She has ways to protect herself from them."

"It's not enough. Laila is still underdeveloped in her magic. It would be powerless against an army of their men. And believe it or not… against the brothers themselves." Morgana looked away. "Besides… I wouldn't want to do that to her. I've been cruel enough."

Agravaine sighed impatiently. "What do you intend to do with her once you take the throne?"

"The most I promised her was to help with her magic."

"But you are already doing that now."

"Yes…" Truthfully, Morgana had not deeply thought about what Laila would be to her once she became queen. Perhaps that would be for the girl to decide, since she would be free soon. Now that she thought about it, Morgana hadn't considered what she would do with _anyone _after Camelot was hers. She turned to Agravaine. "My promise was to keep her safe, to the extent that she would hold her end of it."

"And if she does not?"

"…then I don't want to think about it."

"There is something holding you back, Morgana." Agravaine inched closer to her. "Ever since you brought the girl into this… things have been different. You seem unsure of yourself and your schemes. You reconsider your steps. Is it all a coincidence that once the girl began to do her job, you started to doubt?"

Morgana bit her lip, not looking Agravaine in the eyes. If she did, he might read the truth written all over them. "Laila has made things… complicated. It is not often someone forces me to reconsider my intentions and see truly the consequences of my actions."

"How would she do that? Has she tried to get you to change your mind?"

"Many have, and she is the first to get me to even think about it…" Morgana exhaled and glanced over at Lancelot. "But it has to be done. I am close, so close to reaching my goal, Agravaine… there is no backing down now."

"Is something… truly holding you back Morgana? Is it the girl? Is it her relationship with Merlin?"

The questions were becoming too invasive and Agravaine did not have to know it all. "I am allowed to have memories. You think everyone like me is a cold-blooded killer who does not think twice about the steps she takes to achieve her goals?" Morgana stared up at him menacingly. "No. I may be different than I used to be, but I can never forget what I once was. The days where I had friends and family… they cross my mind every day. I see them in the place of others. When there is blood on my hands, it is the blood of my brother. I see a woman in Cervena chasing after her child, I see my old maid. I…" Morgana turned her head away again. "I let a man take advantage of me and I imagine it's the man I used to love."

Agravaine's eyes perked up and he looked puzzled. "A… a man? Who?"

The witch walked away from him and went to sit in front of Lancelot. "I have said too much, my lord," she said, ending this conversation. "You should go. It's late. Lancelot will come tomorrow to get the plan going."

"Wait," Agravaine interrupted, "What man? Who took advantage of you?"

"It is not important."

"There was a man you loved?"

"That is enough. Go."

"Morgana-"

"I said _go_," she snapped, eyes on Lancelot. "_Goodnight_, Agravaine." Silence fell upon her hovel right away. Morgana had been harsh, but anything to get this discussion to stop. She did not look back to see the man leave. He bid her goodnight and she heard her door open and close. Lancelot had slept the whole time, clearly tired from the events of today.

And a good thing he did. There was much to do tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know, I know, I'm a terrible person for keeping you all waiting so long. It's been hectic but my schedule's back to normal so I may finally be back to updating consistently!**

**Not much to say here about this chapter, I think it speaks for itself. It's been a while since I wrote for this story so I'm slowly getting back into the **_**Keep Me Forever**_** mode. The next one will be the entire Lancelot du Lac chapter, and the one or two following that, something is going to happen to Morgana that she was not expecting. And I don't think any of you will either!**

**By the way, if the impatience with the lack of Mergana in this chapter is killing you, please know I have a purely Mergana story called **_**Your Heart Is A Mess**_**. That will be updated within the next two days! (But that doesn't mean you should stop reading this, please do!)**

**Review your hearts out. Cheers!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The following morning was only the first day of the road to the king's official wedding and Guinevere's coronation ceremony. Arthur had staged a tourney as his engagement present to his future wife. Him and his knights were the source of the entertainment, though it was clear in Gwen's eyes that just seeing Arthur was enough for her. She sat with Agravaine in her new spot above everyone else, clapping and smiling and enjoying herself. As she should have! She was to be queen soon! Merlin stood near the tents like he normally did, watching and waiting in case Arthur needed anything else. Laila was missing out on the event, saying she wasn't feeling well. Gaius had stayed behind as well to check up on her. He promised her he would come back the minute the tourney was over. It had become natural for him to feel overly worried for her.

The king's horse trotted over to the tents, meaning his turn was over. "I've got to hand it to you," Merlin laughed, arms crossed. His master pulled off his helmet and tossed it to his servant who caught it just as it fell to the ground. "If nothing else it's certainly an _original_ engagement present."

Arthur hopped off his horse and went over to where a jug of water was waiting for him. Merlin followed, continuing to tease him. "As far as romantic gestures go… flowers? Or have a song written? Instead you present her with two days of sweaty men knocking the sense out of each other!"

"Exactly as it should be!" Arthur waved his cup of water before bringing it to his lips. "My father staged a tourney before his wedding, it's tradition!"

"Ah, so it's not even an original gesture then?" Merlin pointed out.

"I think my future wife understands." Arthur nodded in Gwen's direction. Percival had just finished his turn, hence the crowd's applause. The king smiled, completely love-struck. Merlin would have laughed at him, seeing as it took Arthur forever to admit he was head over heels for Gwen. He turned to address his servant again. "Where's your lady? Laila would never miss a day like this."

The warlock's smile faltered a little and he distracted himself by giving the helmet an unnecessary polish. "She hasn't been, uh, feeling well these days, decided to skip out for today."

Arthur looked a bit surprised. "Well is she okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, she's… I'm sure it's nothing," Merlin shrugged, not meeting Arthur's eyes yet he could feel them practically burning into him, studying him silently.

"Merlin," he started, "We've been together for quite a long time, haven't we?"

"Er… yes, I'd say so." Where was he going with this?

"And I would say that I know you pretty well, more than I know myself sometimes… which is frightening," Arthur went on, "Nevertheless, I know when you're trying to avoid a subject and when you won't shut up about one. Spill it, big man, what's wrong?"

Times like these Merlin hated that he and Arthur knew each other so well. Despite being the king's manservant, they had a deeper relationship than that. Arthur had even once said that he trusted Merlin above all and he himself never failed to remind the king that he would protect him no matter what. Most of the time, they took their friendship for granted, what with insulting each other and occasionally getting angry, to the point where Arthur would threaten to throw him in the stocks. But there were times where their interactions reminded them just how close they were.

"I don't know, to be honest," Merlin sighed, putting the helmet down and lifting his head to meet Arthur's gaze. "Things have been… a bit weird since she came back."

"That much is expected. She did, after all, run away from you."

"It's not just that, it's… I think she might be hiding something," the warlock finally admitted. "I can't just sit back and buy the explanation that she felt insecure about what we had and chose to run away from it. There's something else and it could be affecting her, and it's bothering me so much, I don't know what to do."

The king thought for a moment. "You're stressing yourself out too much," he finally said, "Granted your relationship with Laila is… complicated, the best way to put it. She's had a tough life, what with losing her family and adjusting to a new home, perhaps she still needs time to fully settle."

"That's another problem," Merlin pointed out, "I don't know much about her past either."

Arthur scoffed, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Well, you're not a very good boyfriend then, are you, Merlin? Talking about yourself all day and not letting the girl speak. What's wrong with you?"

Before Merlin could protest, the sound of the horns signaled that it was another knight's turn. Both the king and servant turned to see a knight ride his horse up to the field, staff in hand. His helmet was closed so neither could identify who it was. Interestingly enough, all the knights should have gone already, who was this stranger?

"Who's that?" Arthur echoed Merlin's thoughts.

"No idea," Merlin replied. The two watched as the knight prepped himself before he raced his horse down the field and pointed his staff into the ribbon-covered ring hanging by a string. His aim was spot on and broke the string it was hanging off of. The audience burst into another round of applause. Gwen clapped politely and stood up to accept the ring. The knight stopped in front of her as she slipped it off his staff. Then, he took his helmet off. It was as if Gwen, Arthur, and Merlin each had flawless timing because their expressions changed all together and matched perfectly; a mix of shock, confusion, and awe.

The knight was Lancelot.

* * *

><p>"Have you considered… the<em> other<em> reason?" Gaius asked, playing it as subtle as he could. Him and Laila were sitting at the table after he had examined her to understand why she had been feeling sick these few days. Across from him, Laila's head was turned, resting on her hand, eyes fixed on the window. Anywhere but at the old man. She feared a simple look would answer Gaius's question. She had considered the other reason; she just didn't want it to be a possibility.

"I'm sure it's nothing," she finally said, turning her head to him. "And most likely not… that."

"It is plausible, Laila. Don't brush it off." And embarrassing. That meant Gaius knew that her and Merlin had gone pretty far. She bit her lip but didn't say anything. What could she say? What was her knowledge of infections and illnesses compared to that of Gaius's? She couldn't just make something up…

Gaius lowered his voice. "When you described your symptoms to me, it was the first conclusion I came to. I had considered that maybe it was caused from an open wound or food poisoning or whatever else that could coincide with the symptoms. But truthfully, that's the most reasonable one."

Groaning, Laila covered her face. When it was coming from the court physician, there really was no denying the truth. "Great. That's just wonderful…"

The old man looked sympathetic. "When are you going to tell Merlin?"

"That's the problem. I don't want to tell Merlin."

"You can't keep this from him, Laila, he has the right to know," Gaius urged, shooting a look in her direction. "He's going to ask me too, and I don't want to lie to him. I've kept enough secrets from him the past, for reasons I believed were important. But this… there can be no excuses. _He has the right to know_."

"I get it, Gaius," she sighed, not wanting to hear him repeat himself. "I just wish I knew how he would react."

"You should be happy about this," he replied, trying to sound optimistic, "Though I can imagine how much it would put on Merlin's plate…"

_You don't even know how much it's going to dump on _my _plate. _"I'll tell him. But not now, Gaius. Later. I will, though. Really."

He observed her for a moment before nodding his head. "Whatever you feel is right. And what shall I say to him if he asks?"

"Tell him it's nothing big, just a stomachache. And when the time is right, I'll tell him the real news." _If there ever will be a right time._

"Very well, then." Before anything else could be said, the doors to the chambers flung open and the two turned to see Merlin run in, looking flustered. Gaius rose from the table. "Merlin? Is something the matter?"

"Not at all!" A big smile spread across Merlin's face. "Gaius, Laila, you are not going to believe this. Lancelot is back!"

Laila had already predicted this but nevertheless, mimicked the shocked expression on Gaius's face as Merlin hurriedly explained what had happened at the tourney earlier today. After Sir Percival, a mysterious night appeared on the field and took off his helmet, revealing his true self to everyone. The girl did not have to ask to find out what the look on Gwen's face was when Lancelot glanced up at her.

"So it seems we missed quite a bit today," Gaius finally said after Merlin finished. "Lancelot returned, and just in time for the wedding."

_His timing couldn't be more terrible_. "Now I'll actually get to meet him!" Laila played along, getting up from the table. "Where will he be staying?"

"I offered him a place here," Merlin replied, "He'll take the upstairs room and we'll sleep down here, if that's alright with you."

"Of course! It's no problem with me."

"Good." The warlock smiled, placing his hands on her shoulders, eyes sweeping over her small figure. "And you? How are you feeling?"

The girl ignored Gaius eyeing her and shrugged. "Better. I suppose it was nothing. I wish I hadn't missed the tourney." _Look away, Gaius, please look away._

"There's another one tomorrow. And Lancelot will be joining everyone for dinner tonight for the first time since we lost him. He's going to explain here he's been all this time."

Was he now? Laila would have to watch and see how so-called Lancelot could make everyone believe that he had not really been dead. And she would have to see Gwen's reaction to his surprise arrival.

The hours flew by quickly and just as Merlin had said, the knights plus Gwen and Agravaine sat at the dinner table, listening to Lancelot recount his tale of what happened after the veil. Merlin and Laila served as usual, but paid close attention to what he was saying. He had remembered very little after the veil. He claimed to owe his life to the "Madhavi people" who had saved him and traveled with them until he made his way to Camelot. Morgana was quite a storyteller, passing down her lies to him. Arthur ate it up and said he made his way home. Gwen looked both happy and unhappy to see him, whilst Merlin just looked happy… yet suspicious. And all throughout his story, Agravaine sent him approving looks that seemed to go unnoticed by everyone. This almost made Laila laugh. Didn't anyone (besides Merlin) notice _anything_ about Agravaine's behavior? Or maybe it just appeared that way to her because she knew what his true intentions were? What with all these evil expressions he made, one would think Agravaine was trying to give himself away.

Lancelot stood to propose a toast to Camelot. Everyone echoed Lancelot and raised their cups. By now, Merlin and Laila were just standing around, watching and listening. Once Lancelot took a sip from his cup, the girl noticed the sudden change in Merlin's expression. She turned her head to him. "Is something wrong?" she whispered.

Merlin shook his head and managed a smile. "No, nothing at all. Just… glad he's back." But Laila knew that look anywhere. He was slowly figuring out. And eventually, he was going to figure it out. The night carried on without an ounce of drama and Merlin didn't verbalize his thoughts, though he probably would once the meal was over. After dinner, the two escorted Lancelot back Gaius's chambers where he would be sleeping in Merlin's room.

"I don't believe I've met you before," Lancelot addressed Laila as he walked between the witch and the warlock. "You were not here last I remember." There was an odd, rehearsed quality to the way he spoke which to the untrained ear, sounded like someone genuinely interested in making her acquaintance. Oh yes. Morgana had trained him all too well. His act would have been convincing if Laila was not into on the woman's plans.

"I'm relatively new," Laila responded casually. "Nice to meet you, _Lancelot_. I've heard great things about you."

The knight nodded his head. "All good, I hope."

"Definitely," Merlin cut in, smiling at the knight, "This way, in case you've forgotten."

After greeting Gaius, Lancelot was led upstairs. Merlin threw open the door and the knight followed, but Laila stayed behind, eyeing them as they left. Many things could happen- Merlin finding out, Lancelot giving away Morgana's plans, and somehow, Laila's only personal secret could be found out- the possibilities were endless.

"Would you be comfortable down here, Laila?"

The girl jumped when she heard Gaius's voice. She turned her eyes to him, confused at what he was asking. Discreetly, the old man patted his stomach and looked at hers. Laila's cheeks turned pink and she wrapped her arms around her own stomach. "I'll be fine," she muttered. She minded her own business for a few moments, setting up her and Merlin's bed when she heard footsteps and turned to see the warlock coming down the stairs, the same expression from before on his face. Only this time, Gaius detected it the suspicion in it as well.

"Oh no," he said, slowly closing his book, "I've seen that face before."

Merlin didn't answer him, merely took a breath. "I'm fine," he sighed, "I'm just tired and a bit overwhelmed from today's events."

"Did Lancelot say something?" Gaius questioned. _Yes, Merlin, did he_? Laila was tempted to voice her urging but kept her mouth shut.

"No, he's still adjusting to being back and all, doesn't talk as much as he used to." There was more but he wasn't telling Gaius. Why? Laila could see it, it was plain on his face. Merlin was sensing something was wrong, in the midst of all the good things that were happening. Yet another thing for the warlock to worry about and make sure no one else got hurt. The matter was closed and everyone prepared for bed themselves.

Laila found she could not sleep at all. The space her and Merlin had downstairs was bigger than his bed in his room, she would think she'd be much more comfortable. It was her thoughts that were keeping her awake, the constant nagging at her to do the right thing. But what was the right thing? It all mattered on which side she was on. On Morgana's side, the right thing was the assist the woman in her quest to snatch the throne from Arthur and take Camelot as hers. On Merlin's, it was to fight against the witch and protect Camelot from her. For a while, Laila had told herself not to choose sides- but to somehow merge them together. That was proving to be impossible. Morgana would not budge and after this, neither would Merlin. The High Priestess had made her biggest mistake, throwing Laila into the equation. She had not considered that Laila was just as much human as anyone else, with thoughts and feelings, her own sense of right and wrong. Just because she was some brothel girl from a hated city did not mean she had none of the above. _What am I going to do?_

The girl turned onto her other side and to her surprise, she found that Merlin was awake as well, on his back, facing the ceiling. He seemed to have felt her eyes on him and averted his gaze to her. "You're still awake?" he whispered.

"I should be asking you the same question," she whispered in return, "What's wrong?"

Merlin paused. "Something's wrong."

"I deducted that much," Laila noted, her voice almost inaudible as to not wake Gaius. "What is it?"

"Lancelot," he replied, turning his whole body to fully face her, "I want to believe everything's fine. I want to believe we have him back…"

"But?" She knew the answer.

"When he was telling his story, I sensed it," Merlin continued, his tone matching Laila's, "The way he greeted me, it seemed suspicious, but what happened now just made me sure. He forgot I had magic… Lancelot would never do that."

This time, she was caught off-guard. She had forgotten that Lancelot knew about Merlin's magic. If Morgana had known… if she had been told beforehand… this would not have happened, another flaw in her plan. "It is strange," she admitted, "But you mustn't forget, Merlin, after what he's been through… you can't really expect him to be his old self, much less remember all the details."

"This is a big part of me. He could never forget this," Merlin insisted. "It's almost like he's… not himself. And he always looks as if he's got some other motive. Something dangerous, for sure."

"Give him time," Laila promised, reaching out to take his hand in hers reassuringly, "Lancelot will remember. Everything about you, the big parts, the little ones… all of it. He'll be back to the same, noble knight that everybody knows him to be. Trust me."

Merlin was silent for a few moments, just pondering to himself. Finally, he gave in. "Well… I suppose. It is his first day back after all."

"That's right. Now stop worrying all the time, you're less fun to be around."

The warlock smiled at her and slowly pulled her towards him. "Well, what about you? Why are you awake?"

_I'm awake because I'm thinking about how fucked up the future is going to be if I don't do the right thing. The problem is, I don't know what the right thing is and normally I'd confide in you because I trust you with all my heart but I can't because if I did, you would hate me. Oh, and by the way, there is a very good chance that I am pregnant with your child. _"Just thinking also," Laila shrugged, letting him wrap his arms around her. "Nothing special."

"Thinking about what exactly?" he murmured, face inches away from hers. "About me, I hope?"

She giggled quietly. "Sort of…"

"I think I'm okay with that. If it's sort of about me, what's the rest of it?"

She hesitated for a second. "Merlin…"

"Yes?" The worry that had been permanent in his tone of voice since Laila had come back had returned and it almost made her cry at how he could still feel so protective over her. If he knew… he would leave her in no time.

"What's going to happen in the future?" Laila asked softly, unsure if it was came out the way she wanted it to.

Merlin furrowed his brow. "I can't really tell you… I'm not the Seer here, love, you are."

The only visions she was having was of her in the same cell back in Cervena with Rheon's voice taunting her. But she wasn't about to talk about those, neither were they what she was going for. "What I mean is… with us. Will we ever… I don't know… get… more serious?"

She couldn't see his face all too clearly in the dark but his silence indicated that he had not been expecting this. His arms loosened around her but he did not pull away. Was that a bad sign or did it not mean anything at all?

"I know it's a weird question," Laila confessed, "I shouldn't have asked, it was too soon…"

"No, no it wasn't," Merlin interrupted, "You've every right to ask that and honestly, I can't believe we never discussed it up until now."

"…Really?"

"Yes, really." Another smile was playing on Merlin's mouth. "I know it's not exactly the life someone like me could lead- one like Arthur's where I'll get married, have kids, make a family of my own. But I want that life. Ups and downs, enemies and supernatural beings, saving lives nearly every day… I still want that future."

"Will that happen the way you want it to?"

"I hope so. It depends on many things. But right now with you… I think we can work towards that."

The last sentence made Laila feel a sudden mix of emotions that she looked away from him. He was smiling, it was obvious in his voice and she wanted to return it. Maybe this would make him happier. This piece of news… "Merlin…" she began. _Go on, tell him. Tell him what he has the right to know. You can't keep this secret from him._

"Mhmm?" He sounded sleepy now.

_Tell him, Laila. Tell him!_ "I want that too," she finally decided, backing out of her decision at the very last second. Now was not the time. But the conversation confirmed it all. Once the warlock had closed his eyes and drifted off, Laila turned on her other side and closed her own. She had made her decision. She knew what side she was on. And she would stay there, and make sure no one, especially not Merlin would get hurt.

The next morning, nothing drastic happened. No fights, no exposing of true identities, none of that. It was only the beginning after all. Laila decided to go see how Gwen was doing after she finished her morning duties. Cook gave her Agravaine's breakfast and she took it upstairs to his chambers without much enthusiasm- all this time and she still could not take a liking to him. The girl knocked lightly on the doors before pushing it open cautiously. Agravaine was sitting at his table as if he knew she would come at this precise hour.

"It would do you some good to get an actual servant," she said, walking in without saying hello, "I swear, a hundred different people do various chores for you."

The man did not seem bothered by her words and waited until she placed the tray down in front of him when he spoke. "I went to Morgana last night."

Laila straightened up. "And?"

"Guinevere was shaken by Lancelot's arrival, but I feared that her love for Arthur is much stronger than you or I thought."

"I never doubted it for a minute." The girl crossed her arms stubbornly.

Agravaine ignored her. "Our lady gave me an object of magic that could help enchant her. He is going to give it to as a gift from the so-called people he traveled with as a token of good fortune. Once she wears it, it will stir up some old feelings and we will get the outcome we wanted."

_What sort of object?_ Laila questioned it no further. Instead, she bowed her head and exited Agravaine's chambers. She looked around to make sure she wasn't being followed and went down to the lower town. Sure enough, when she looked ahead, Lancelot was leaving Gwen's home. He examined his surroundings before he made his way back up towards the castle. Laila wanted to follow him but decided to leave it alone, for fear of getting caught. Besides, today was the second tourney and fortunately, Laila was feeling well enough to go. The first half of it was filled with cheering and excitement… though she couldn't help but find it just a little bit boring.

"Tell me something," she was saying to Merlin, watching one knight knock another knight off his horse, "Is it just me when I say I can't find anything too romantic in knights hitting each other to the ground?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Exactly what I told Arthur. But it's tradition. If Uther did it, there's no way Arthur's not doing it." They turned their heads to see Lancelot take his turn, his staff knocking a knight down, the horse dragging the fallen man as it raced down the track. The knight lifted his staff in response to the crowd's applause. Gwen and Agravaine clapped for him, both with looks on their faces that worried Laila.

"Gwen's doing a lot of admiring," Merlin noted, suspicion back in his voice. "Must be _really_ happy Lancelot's back."

"Must be," Laila agreed. The silence that followed did nothing to comfort her. She looked up to see Merlin's smile had faded and he was frowning now. "What is it?"

"I know we talk about this, but I can't help but feel bothered by it," he told her. "Look at Gwen. She's so… she seems… I don't know." They watched quietly as Arthur was next up, not surprisingly winning this round, raising his staff proudly over his head. But neither serving boy nor girl could be happy for him. Both stood there, unsmiling, each thinking the same thing. At that moment, Sir Percival passed by the two of them, panting and carrying his helmet. He eyed the two of them and smiled.

"Don't look so worried, you two," he noticed, "Arthur won!"

"Yeah," Merlin replied, forcing a smile in return, "He's in the final with Lancelot!" Once Percival was out of earshot, he turned to her. "Scratch what I said last night, I've a right to be suspicious. It's bugging me and I know you want me to believe everything is fine but I can't."

The girl didn't say anything in return. What could she say? What else to persuade Merlin that this was the real Lancelot? Laila had promised herself she would make sure he wouldn't get hurt; knowing what Lancelot truly was would be risking it. And not just Merlin's life, but others as well. She didn't know just how potent that object of magic was, but if it twisted Gwen's feelings, her life would be on the line as well. There was one thing she knew for sure- that Lancelot would not kill Arthur.

And he didn't. When they raced towards each other down the track, staffs pointed, Merlin had grabbed Laila's wrist out of fear unknowingly, afraid for the very thing Laila knew Lancelot wouldn't do. He had managed to injure Arthur; but that was it. He didn't go for the kill. The warlock had relaxed next to her. Momentarily, at least.

"I suppose I should be pleased Arthur's alive," he breathed.

"You really didn't think Lancelot was aiming to kill Arthur, were you?"

Merlin wasn't denying it. "I was prepared to use magic to stop it." Nothing ever escaped him, did it? Laila should have felt proud of herself for keeping up this lie for so long, but she wasn't sick enough to enjoy the fact that she was doing it. "I still believe something's up."

"We won't know until it happens, will we?" Laila answered. That was the best way she could respond for now. Merlin dropped the matter and went over to where Gaius was standing. She was about to follow when something caught her eye and she looked over her shoulder to see Gwen going to Lancelot's tent. _There we go._ She slipped away casually and walked in the same direction Gwen had gone. Laila could do this quietly… without anyone finding out. Everything would go back to normal… and then she was stopped when she noticed Agravaine walking towards her.

"My lord," she addressed briskly.

He stood there, smirking triumphantly. "Did you see that? Gwen is enchanted by him. It means the spell is working. By tonight, everything will go exactly as Lady Morgana has planned."

"And we'll just be standing around to watch?" Laila brought up flatly.

Agravaine's smile dropped and he eyed her carefully. "You will make sure nothing goes wrong tonight, won't you? Morgana would not like it if you let Merlin ruin yet another one of her schemes again. That's your job, remember? Do whatever it is you're good at, just as long as he stays out of it."

The girl felt her cheeks flush in anger and she gripped her fists to keep from lashing out. He had taken a dig at her and she was trying her best to stay cool. "Oh, believe me. I'll do whatever it is I'm good at it, _my lord_."

* * *

><p>Merlin had spent all day thinking about Lancelot, and was still at it that night, lying in bed. How could he not? The behavior, the way he spoke, the way in which Gwen was looking at him… something was up. Perhaps he wasn't there to kill Arthur, but if not that, then what? And the whole deal with Gwen… was it possible her feelings for him had come back? Or was this all part of the bigger picture? Usually when a situation like this occurred, Merlin could safely turn to Morgana as the source of it all. But why would she want Lancelot to be a part of her plan? To sway Gwen and break Arthur's heart? It wouldn't come as a shock to him. <em>Morgana is rather skilled at breaking the hearts of those she loved<em>, he thought bitterly to himself. _More skilled in that than her plans to thwart Camelot, if anyone would believe it. _

Another thing; why was Laila being so nonchalant about this? When Merlin was on the alert, so was she. But she seemed strangely cool about the matter, like she detected nothing wrong. Of course she did not know Lancelot up until now, but come on. Laila had to have noticed Gwen's looks and judge based on what Merlin had told her. And he had told her a lot about Lancelot. He hated to say it out loud, but he was starting to become rather observant of her as well. These days, she had this look on her face as if she knew something he didn't. And not to be clingy, but Merlin felt he had a right to know what his girlfriend was looking so troubled about.

The warlock had managed to doze off for a few minutes until thirst pulled him out of sleep. He got up out of the bed and crept over to the table to pour himself some water. Before Merlin could take a sip from the cup, he heard noises upstairs and glanced up to his room. Lancelot was awake. The door opened and he quickly darted behind the screen, careful not to wake Gaius or Laila. He watched through the holes as the knight walked as silently as he could across the chambers and to the door. Merlin held his breath. Yes, he had a right to be apprehensive. Lancelot was definitely up to something.

Before he could move from his hiding spot, he saw Laila get up from their bed and scan her surroundings before getting up and grabbing her cloak. Merlin watched in confusion as she wrapped it around herself and follow out the door merely moments after Lancelot had exited. He appeared from behind the screen, eyes narrowing. Lancelot left and Laila followed. _Oh, she better not be doing what I think she's doing. If so, it would explain why she's so calm._ It was ridiculous, thinking after two days, they would be having an affair… but it would make sense… and was not helpful at all. Without a second thought, Merlin was after the two of them, swallowing back the nauseous build-up in his stomach. Of all things he hadn't planned, it was stalking Laila who was stalking Lancelot who had something up his sleeve… well, it wasn't shocking, but it wasn't usual either.

He kept as many paces as he could behind the two of them. It didn't look like they were planning on meeting at a designated spot so that was slightly comforting. From the looks of it, Laila was on to him the same way Merlin was on to the both of them. He just had to find out what her intent was.

The girl stopped behind a wall and Merlin at the end of the hall, out of eyesight. She was peeking out from behind it, her cloak over her head in an attempt to cover at least some of her identity. Lancelot was nowhere to be seen but judging by the way Laila was leaning a bit forward, she was listening in on something. It had to have been Lancelot. But who else? Gwen, probably? Merlin's thoughts were interrupted when he saw Laila walk ahead and this time, hurriedly. Lancelot was on the move again. The warlock kept a good distance between them as they entered another corridor. He waited a few seconds before slowly going the same way.

Just as he was closing in on them, Merlin heard a slam and ran the rest of the way and halted to a stop at the sight before him. Lancelot had fallen to the ground on his stomach, not moving. Behind him was Laila, removing the cloak over her head and hurrying over to his unconscious body. _What is she doing?! Did she throw him back?!_ Second time that night, Merlin acted without thinking. He stepped out into the hallway. "Laila, stop!"

The girl whipped around and sucked in a breath when she saw Merlin. "Oh, Gods, no," she muttered. Before the warlock could move, Lancelot got up and tripped Laila. She fell forward to the ground, losing her step. Merlin ran forward and tried to stop the knight but Lancelot had his sword out and thrust a fist at him. He was taken by surprise, the breath knocked out of him. It was a few seconds before his world went black.

Merlin didn't know how long he had been out, but when he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings, he realized Laila was gone. Fucking hell… she ran off after Lancelot. It had to have been an act; the coolness, the relaxed attitude towards the matter… Laila knew all along that Lancelot was not himself. And Merlin had to find out how and why she did not say anything to him. He picked himself up, feeling a sudden, sharp pain in his forehead. He pressed a palm to the area, inwardly cursing. When his focus came back, Merlin rapidly made his way down the hall he was positive they had gone down.

* * *

><p>She was running out of time.<p>

_I hope I'm not too late._ Laila had timed this as carefully as she could. But she hadn't planned well enough. She should have thought twice when she noticed Merlin was not in bed. He had followed them; he had gotten in the way, and in this case, it was not good. She had wanted to do this without him knowing. But now Laila was going to be forced to explain. _Whatever. As long as I get the job done before Arthur finds out._

She burst into the throne room, the find Gwen and Lancelot locked in an embrace, gazing dreamily at each other. They turned their heads to her, and Gwen did not suppress the surprised shriek that escaped her lips. Lancelot looked irritated, as if it hadn't been enough he tripped her.

"Gwen, back away from him," she ordered, shooting a glare at the Shade.

Gwen looked frantically to Lancelot who stepped in front of her protectively. "Go back to bed, young girl. I am only doing as our lady commands."

"Yeah? Well I'm saving us." Laila ran forward and for the second time, knocked him down. Gwen gasped and stepped back, screaming at them to stop. Lancelot tossed her off of him and pulled out his sword. She ducked out the way before he could slice at her skin. She stood up and faced him. "You don't have to do this," she said in a low voice. _In other words, don't make me kill you. I don't want your blood on my hands._

"I am not yours to command. I am my lady's," Lancelot snapped, swiping at her. "Do not stand in my way, young girl. She told me if anyone did, I am to kill them immediately."

Even he was calling her "young girl." The Shade was so controlled by Morgana, he could not think for himself. He was simply a puppet, and Morgana had him by the strings. And so was Laila. It took her all these months to realize that she was just another pawn in Morgana's game and that maybe, she would easily dispense of her the way she would with Lancelot once her job was done. Both of them had been assigned to break hearts; but Laila's was personal and she could not take it anymore. She had chosen her side last night; and she was going to stick with it.

"Both of you, stop this!" Gwen shouted, backing up into the pillar, frightened out of her mind. "Please, this has to stop, now!"

They ignored her. "Your lady is playing with you, Sir Lancelot," Laila said, taking a deep breath, "As she has been with me." Lancelot took another swing at her and she took her chance, lowering her head, eyes flashing gold. Lancelot was thrown back once again, his sword slipping from his grip. Acting quickly, the girl reached for it and threw herself on top of him. Laila heard footsteps behind her but blocked them out, not thinking right then. Pointing the sword directly at his chest, she lifted it up and with all her strength, thrust it into the Shade.

It would forever come as a shock to her for the rest of her life how in that moment, _the only moment ever_ that she had been able to conjure up that much strength.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know, I know, it's been over a month since I've updated and I am so very, very, **_**very**_** sorry! I was on vacation and then once I got back, my classes started and the sky was falling and… anyway, here's chapter twenty.**

**Okay, a few things I should discuss. One, the end. Talk about major twist! I tried to make it as subtle as possible that Laila was slowly going over to Merlin's side from Morgana's. If it didn't work, then I am majorly disappointed in myself. Two, Laila's pregnancy. If you know anything about me, you would know that plot twists are my best friend. So don't be too set on the story going in that direction. In fact, it's safe to say that with this story, you should never be too set on anything. Three, where in the world is Morgana? She's coming back next chapter, along with the Kanark brothers. She will be reunited with Laila too, and we'll see what becomes of their relationship after this. Four… well, I got nothing. I just like even numbers.**

**I know I'm a frustrating person, particularly with this story, but I encourage you to stay till the end. Feel free to be angry with me for not publishing regularly, but keep your faith in me. **

**P.S. Go read **_**Your Heart Is A Mess**_**, it will take care of your Mergana needs. That will be updated tomorrow. Jussayin'!**


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